Christian Villanueva came to the Cubs in the Ryan Dempster deal at the 2012 trade deadline. A J2 signing by the rangers in 2008, Villanueva cuts a less than imposing figure, standing 5'11-160. His 2011 campaign hinted at the potential for surprising pop, however, as he ISO'd .186 for the Rangers' Low-A Hickory affiliate. Combined with his sterling glovework at third, Villanueva's …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-31-13
Iowa Cubs 2 @ Nashville Sound 7 This is what I get for talking up Mike Olt yesterday. He went 0-4 with 4 Ks. Yikes. Jae-Hoon Ha went 2-3 with a double and a walk. The pitching was fucking terrible. Tennessee Smokies 4 @ Chattanooga Lookouts 3 Javier Baez doing Javier Baez Things. 2-5 with a homer and 2 Ks. …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-30-13
Iowa Cubs 2 @ Nashville Sounds 3 If I were the type of person to find a narrative in chaos, I would suggest that Mike Olt has realized that if he wants to not be in the PCL for the third season in a row next year, he better start hitting, and fast. He was 3-4 yesterday, and over the …
Sally and the Midwest: Minor League Run Environments (A-Ball)
The minor league run environment in the Midwest League and the South Atlantic League.
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-24-13
Better late than never, it's yesterday's JOT. Sorry for the delay. Chicago Cubs 3 @ San Diego Padres 2 Is it April? Because Jeff Samardzija just put together two good starts in a row. 8 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 7 Ks. PETCO helps, but he's almost got his ERA back under 4. He hit a double, …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-23-13
Memphis Redbirds 0 @ Iowa Cubs 2 Kyle Hendricks got the win by tossing 7 strong shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and a walk on 3 Ks. Zach Rosscup and Eduardo Sanchez had 3 Ks between them in a perfect 8th and 9th. Mobile BayBears 3 @ Tennessee Smokies 2 Dim the lights and put on a Luther Vandross record, …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-17-13
Iowa Cubs 0 @ New Orleans Zephyrs 3 Offense: DNP (shittiness) Justin Grimm worked 7 strong, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, no walks and 8 Ks. Most of his damage came on a 2 run homer in the 4th. Zach Rosscup worked the 8th and struck out three, allowing a hit in the middle of it. Chattanooga Lookouts 6 …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-16-13
St Louis Cardinals 0 @ Chicago Cubs 7 How 'bout that Jake Arrieta, huh? I'm starting to think we won the Feldman trade. Arrieta tossed 7 shutout innings against the cards, allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks against 7 Ks, and was dominating. Someone asked Keith Law on Twitter if Arrieta could be "a GUY" (which, can I say, …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-10-13
Chicago Cubs 6 @ St Louis Cardinals 5 Anyone else kind of baffled that this Cubs team has 13 walks in a two game stretch? I really don't get it. The Junior Lake Show was 2-4 with a double yesterday. He just keeps going. Welington Castillo's quietly solid second half is becoming less and less quiet of late. He was …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-9-13
Chicago Cubs 3 @ St Louis Cardinals 0 The Cubs shut out the Cards in St. Louis for the first time since '97 last night. Perhaps more surprisingly, Chris Rusin was most responsible for it. 6 innings of 7 hit, 2 walk, 5 K scoreless ball? A 3.08 ERA? The regression is going to be ugly as hell, but for now, …