JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 6-11-13

In Commentary And Analysis, Minor Leagues by myles82 Comments

Iowa Cubs 7 @ Oklahoma City RedHawks 6

Logan Watkins had a double and a single, with 2 RBI. Dave Sappelt had a walk and a single and a single RBI. Brad Nelson went 2-4 with 2 HR. I can't imagine anyone in the organization having a better day than that. Junior Lake heard us arguing and wanted to let us know that he still loves us. He didn't have an error and did have a strikeout. He also had a double. Ian Stewart had a walk and a double and is now hitting a robust .164 on the year. He played first base. Darnell McDonald had a double and an RBI. Luis Flores is only hitting .174 on the season but did draw 2 walks. By the way, none of this counts, because Phil Humber was the pitcher on the other side. 

Yoanner Negrin had another poor start. He allowed 5 runs in 5 innings off the strength of 2 home runs allowed, 2 walks, and 10 hits. He did strike out 8 so it's not all bad. Casey Coleman did 3 innings of great work, allowing no runs. Brian Schlitter picked up the save by allowing a single run in the ninth.

Tennessee Smokies 3 @ Mobile BayBears 4 

Matt Szczur was 0-4 today. It happens. Arismendy Alcantara went 2-4 and was caught stealing. Rubi Silva had a walk but no hits. Christian Villanueva continues to go on the warpath, going 2-4 with a run and a caught stealing. His OPS in April/May/June: .588/.857/.890. Rafael Lopez was 2-4 with 2 doubles. Hooray!

A.J. Morris had a great little game. He pitched 5.1 innings and allowed 2 hits and no walks. He struck out 4 and allowed a single run. He only had 71 pitches, too. Zach Rosscup had a rare poor outing, allowing a pair of runs on a two-run blast. Trey McNutt had 1.2 scoreless innings, and Kevin Rhoderick wrapped it up with 0.2 innings of one-run ball.

Cincinnati Reds 6 @ Chicago Cubs 2

David DeJesus did not have a great game. He struck out twice and did not reach base. Anthony Rizzo continues to struggle but did have a walk. Alfonso Soriano struck out 3 times with a single. Nate Schierholtz had 2 hits and continues to build some trade value. Starlin Castro had a ninth-inning double. He really needs to start coming around.

Scott Feldman had a poor outing, but still has a 3.22 ERA. 

Fort Myers Miracle 6 @ Javier Baez 7

Javier Baez, come on down! He had 4 home runs for 7 RBI, and missed the homer cycle by a grand slam. He now has a line of .291/.339/.570, compared to Jorge Soler's (1-4) .278/.344/.470. Soler is ice cold lately, but let's give Baez his credit. It wasn't a perfect game (his 26th error)… but it was damn close. He's still the owner of an 11/60 BB/SO ratio, but I'd wager that his walks are going to start going up as A+ starts to realize that he can demolish anything you throw at him. He homered off of 3 different pitches, according to sitrick. His OPS in June is 1.725. His OPS is better with Runners On (.946) than when Bases are Empty (.875), and better still with RISP (.968). I don't even want to write about anyone else on this offense. Go Javier Baez.

Zach Cates got the win, thanks to Javier Baez. He went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned, Cabezas' first error of the year caused the other run), and Luis Liria had another poor outing. His ERA sits at 7.03. Larry Suarez and Frank Del Valle each were scoreless. 

Kane County Cougars 2 @ Cedar Rapids Kernels 6

Gioskar Amaya had 3 walks, so that's great. He was also caught stealing and picked off, so that's not great. Albert Almora doesn't even seem to be trying anymore, with a lowly 1-4, 2B performance. Dan Vogelbach had an RBI, a walk, and a SO. Rock Shoulders went 2-4 with a double, and Oliver Zapata had 2 hits. 

Pierce Johnson had an atypically poor night, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits in 2 walks over 4.2 innings. He did face Byron Buxton who roughed him up good. Lendy Castillo closed it out with 3.1 innings of 1-run ball. His ERA is almost under 7 now!

DSL Cubs 4 @ DSL Braves 6

Enderson Mercedes was more like a Reliant Robin in this game. He faced 2 batters and walked them both. 

VSL Cubs 4 @ VSL Tigers 5

Both Ricardo Marcano and Delbis Arcila went 3-3 with a walk in this game. Marcano had 1 double and Arcila had 3. 

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Comments

  1. dmick89

    Regarding Maples twitter page, he retweeted a racist image. I’d like to think the organization bitch slapped him after doing it, but it’s still on his page so I doubt it. Gonna be very hard to root for the guy now.

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  2. Rice Cube

    It is entirely possible that Ian Stewart is delusional.

    @thecubreporter 12m
    As RT’d by @IAN_STEWART_2sc: “@papa_penn: sad part is Stew isn’t AAA baller. He is a big show baller in an org. With terrible leadership.”

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  3. dmick89

    I didn’t even hear about this sexual assault issue with Marmol from last fall. Maybe I did and forgot about it. That’s 2 of 25 on the roster who have been accused of this. Hope it wasn’t true about either of them, but I don’t know.

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  4. Author
    Myles

    Yeah, I’m really surprised that Maples still has that image on his twitter. He probably tried to delete it but ended up walking 4 more batters instead

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  5. Suburban kid

    Oh, do you mean his gallery (link went to mobile version which didn’t have that). One pretty racist funnypicoftheday there.

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  6. Berselius

    I don’t know if it’s that big of a deal with what Stewart’s doing. He’s basically daring the Cubs to cut him, at this point he’s got nothing to lose with the org anyway.

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  7. Mercurial Outfielder

    @ Berselius:
    Can’t imagine teams will be lining up to sign a former MLBer hitting .164 in the PCL and calling out his org for not promoting him. He’s tweeting himself out of a job.

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  8. Mercurial Outfielder

    @ Berselius:

    The Cubs aren’t going to set precedent by giving him what he wants. All he’s doing is guaranteeing that (1) what’s been happenign to him will continue to, both because he sucks and because he’s a jabberjaws and (2) that even if the Cubs cut him, it’s likely no-one will want him because of these antics. He only has nothing to lose if he’s really looking forward to getting a real job. Otherwise, he should shut the fuck up and keep stealing that $2M from the Cubs.

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  9. Mercurial Outfielder

    I don’t follow Garza on Twitter, but apparently he’s sticking up for Stewart. Could be he’s looking for a way out, too.

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  10. WaLi

    If the Cubs cut Stewie he still gets paid, right? Maybe he knows he is done and/or doesn’t care if he doesn’t play again.

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  11. Mercurial Outfielder

    @ WaLi:
    Yeah, they’d owe him what’s left of his deal (~$900K was the figure I saw being tossed aroudn the last time he went off on Twitter.).

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  12. uncle dave

    Sorry to go off topic here, but isn’t there someone who frequents this blog who is familiar with Austin? I’m leading a bachelor party there and would appreciate any insights on can’t-miss restaurants or bars. Thoughts?

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  13. Berselius

    @ uncle dave:

    Off the top of my head the main can’t miss thing is Franklin BBQ. Be prepared to wait in line though. Bar-wise the only places I can rec Downtown are Ginger Man (for beers) and Peche for cocktails. I’m not a huge cocktail guy, but the visiting friend of mine I went with is a huge gastro-whiskey-whateverthefuck snob and said the place was highly recommended.

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  14. Author
    Myles

    Working on the June Falling Prospects List and a new Top 15 list right now. On my Top 30, I have draft picks at #2, #17, and #20. Our farm system is stupidly deep right now.

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  15. Berselius

    http://aeryssports.com/a-league-of-her-own/ian-stewart-twitter-tip/

    @IAN_STEWART_2sc is too long and too hard to remember. How are your followers supposed to insult you directly when they can’t even remember how to find you? Pick something shorter and without all the underscores. Something like @EntitledJackass, @Hitting164 or @ISuckAtBaseball will make it a lot easier for your followers.

    (dying laughing)
    (dying laughing)
    (dying laughing)

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  16. Mish

    http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/6/11/4419634/minor-league-ball-gameday-june-11

    ***The big news in the minor leagues yesterday was Javier Baez, the Chicago Cubs prospect hitting four homers for High-A Daytona. He’s hitting .432 in his last 10 games and now has a .291/.339/.570 line on the season, with 13 homers, 17 doubles, 11 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 230 at-bats. As with Twins prospect Miguel Sano, Baez has some flaws but his pure talent appears to be too good for the Florida State League right now, and I think he needs to move up to Double-A sometime soon in order to be truly challenged and learn what he needs to learn against more advanced pitching.

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  17. mikeakaleroy

    @ Berselius:
    I think this is my personal favorite line:

    …. it’s pretty obvious that you’re trying to force the Cubs to release you via being a jackass on Twitter. That’s fine, but keep in mind that all your future employers (both in MLB and at McDonald’s) can see that you’re a grumpy employee.

    (dying laughing)

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  18. dmick89

    @ mikeakaleroy:
    I actually feel bad for Stewart now. It’s not like everyone in the world complains about their job, but by golly when a ball player does it, he’s a jackass. It’s weird.

    Mark Prior stated the correct and obvious thing once. He said he was just an employee. Oddly enough, he got blasted by Cubs fans for saying it. Weird world.

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  19. mikeakaleroy

    @ dmick89:
    I think the difference is visibility. Yes, I bitch about my job, and used to do it on twitter. A bunch of strangers know my twitter account, and not my employer. If I were to take out an ad in my company newsletter and complain about how shitty of a company it was, I’d expect consequences. Stewart knew that by complaining publicly on Twitter that the Cubs would read it, and he hoped that would lead to his release.

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  20. mikeakaleroy

    @ dmick89:
    Also, I don’t think there’s any reason to feel bad for Stewart. I doubt Jed was there with a gun to his head telling him what to type on his Twitter account. Stewart had to know that his words would have consequences and would cause some backlash. Yes, it’s a shitty situation for him, but his tweets just made matters worse, in my humble opinion.

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  21. Mercurial Outfielder

    @ dmick89:
    Bitching about minimum wage job =! Bitching about $2M/yr job.

    The guy is a former MLB player hitting .164 in an extreme hitter’s league, and he’s alleging he won’t get recalled because the manager doesn’t like him.

    Fucking spare me, Ian.

    The man is a fucking jackass.

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  22. Mercurial Outfielder

    And here come the backtracking tweets. Someone just got their punk card pulled.

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  23. Mercurial Outfielder

    I want to apologize to the entire Cubs organization for my comments on twitter .— BeefStew2 (@IAN_STEWART_2sc) June 11, 2013

    I let my frustrations get the best of me and in no way want to be a distraction.— BeefStew2 (@IAN_STEWART_2sc) June 11, 2013

    I am focused on getting back to the big leagues and am working everyday to make that happen.— BeefStew2 (@IAN_STEWART_2sc) June 11, 2013

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  24. Mercurial Outfielder

    I’m guessing there was a fine and a reminder of just how deeply one can be mired on the bench. I like the Cubs taking the hard line here and not just giving Stewart his release. Two parties sign a contract, after all.

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  25. dmick89

    mikeakaleroy wrote:

    Stewart knew that by complaining publicly on Twitter that the Cubs would read it, and he hoped that would lead to his release.

    I don’t disagree. It’s pretty dumb for Stewart to do what he did, but I’m not sure he deserves all the criticism he’s gotten either.

    As for consequences, what could they possibly be? He’s playing twice per week and making a bunch of money doing it. He wants out, but he’s also laughing at the Cubs while they pay him to be an asshole.

    I think this is a non-story. What I think is the story is this: the Cubs paid a bad player $2 million. I don’t care what Ian Stewart does in AAA. I do care that the Cubs wasted $2 million.

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  26. Mercurial Outfielder

    And so it begins:

    Please sit Castro or trade him n bring up Baez. What could that hurt?— Cubs Facebook (@FacebookCubs) June 11, 2013

    I’m guessing he starts getting booed regularly in very short order.

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  27. mikeakaleroy

    @ dmick89:
    Yeah, I agree with that last part. I admit, I was on the side of “Sign him for $2 mil, what could go wrong?” and that has not turned out so well.

    As for the criticism, my guess is that a lot of people didn’t read the real reason he took the 72 hours off when he was assigned to Iowa, and also the fact that he’s been hurt for most of his tenure with the Cubs, and this was just another strike against him. I think he deserves the criticism because he certainly could have sucked it up and stopped batting .164 and played his way back instead of bitching and throwing the FO under the bus.

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  28. dmick89

    Mercurial Outfielder wrote:

    Bitching about minimum wage job =! Bitching about $2M/yr job.

    I’m not saying they’re equal, but wealthy people bitch about their jobs, too.

    I think Stewart is an asshole, but as for calling out the Chicago Cubs, I don’t care.

    Bigger story: Stewart calling out the Cubs or the Cubs eagerly paying Stewart $2 million? Stewart calling out the Cubs or the Cubs willingness to keep paying him even after he was injured and they could have released him while paying less than league minimum? They had two fucking chances and both times made the wrong decision.

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  29. dmick89

    mikeakaleroy wrote:

    Yeah, I agree with that last part. I admit, I was on the side of “Sign him for $2 mil, what could go wrong?” and that has not turned out so well.

    There could have been some arguments for that, but by the time the middle of spring training rolled around and he was still injured, there was no longer any excuse to keep him. The Cubs could have paid a fraction of the $2 million and released him.

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  30. Mercurial Outfielder

    Stewart suspended w/o pay, Theo cites “loyalty clause.” Be interesting to see how MLBPA takes this.

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  31. uncle dave

    @ dmick89:
    The unfortunate thing about it is that once that sort of bullshit starts, it rarely goes away. I’m not sure why folks are so eager to hang on to their own flawed narratives. Guy could turn into a perennial all-star and folks would still insist that he’s an underachiever.

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  32. GW

    @ uncle dave:

    Looks like B hit most of it. If you are looking for places to stay, the Driskill is right on 6th. It’s the oldest hotel in austin, and well maintained.

    Bars: It’s hard to go wrong with any of the places on Rainey Street. For beer selection, B already mentioned the ginger man and flying saucer, I second those and add the Draught House. Opal Divine’s for liquor. Haddington’s for cocktails. There are lots of more or less interchangeable bars on sixth; Buffalo Billiards and Maggie Mae’s are half decent.

    For BBQ: Franklin’s, The Salt Lick (Driftwood, byob), Rudy’s.

    Mexican: Trudy’s (stuffed avocado), Curra’s (Carnitas, Chilaquiles, probably anything, actually)

    Donuts: Gourdough’s (trust me)

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  33. MJK

    @ Berselius:

    Highlight of the Insider article is: The Cubs’ 25-36 record might look more like their 30-31 Pythagorean record if Carlos Marmol’s control had not continued to deteriorate, to the point that he’d have trouble targeting the ground if he dropped the baseball.

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  34. uncle dave

    @ GW:
    Thanks, GW. Sad that we’re all getting so old that the donut shop is more appealing than the titty bar, but I suspect that there will be a stop there. Again with the puns, though. Is that some sorta Austin thing? I’m expecting that a passel of restaurants with punny names will appear in the next Linklater flick.

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  35. MJK

    @ dmick89:

    Earlier I tried the side bar and it just loaded indefinitely. It worked now, I didn’t try it when I replied to Berselius a moment ago.

    Levine said Bryant could be ready for the majors as early as next June in today’s chat.

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  36. dmick89

    @ MJK:
    I think similar things have happened to sitrick a few times. I’ve noticed on my phone and iPad on occasion. I think we’ll have to do away with the sidebar login and just have a link to a login page on the menu.

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  37. Berselius

    uncle dave wrote:

    Is that some sorta Austin thing? I’m expecting that a passel of restaurants with punny names will appear in the next Linklater flick.

    My favorite one is “Naan Stop”, an Indian food cart downtown.

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  38. EnricoPallazzo

    Berselius wrote:

    uncle dave wrote:
    Is that some sorta Austin thing? I’m expecting that a passel of restaurants with punny names will appear in the next Linklater flick.

    My favorite one is “Naan Stop”, an Indian food cart downtown.

    i assumed that you were making a joke but googled it to see if a place with such an awesome name actually exists. it does. better still, they’ve apparently recently changed the name to “naan sense” (seriously).

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