JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-24-13

Better late than never, it's yesterday's JOT. Sorry for the delay.

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, too. Attaboy spellcheck. Kevin Gregg closed it out with a K in a perfect 9th.

Starlin Castro was 1-4. Anthony Rizzo was 1-4 with a walk. Darwin Barney is the best thing about the offense lately, going 3-4 with a homer and a double. I'm gonna start an irresponsible rumor that he's juicing: Darwin Barney is juicing. He has also stolen David Eckstein's old batting gloves. Prove he hasn't. Junior Lake was 1-4 with a double. Donnie Murphy is a helluva drug, 1-4. This is the last recap blurb I wrote after being in a car all day. I am punchy as hell.

Memphis Redbirds 5 @ Iowa Cubs 8

Holy shit did Mike Olt have a day. 4-4 with a homer and a double. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he apparently is capable of putting a bat on a baseball. Dave Sappelt and Brad Nelson were both 2-5 with a double. Tim Torres was 2-4 with a double. And Ty Wright was 1-3 with a double and a BB.

Casey Coleman had a "Hey, This Is The Best You're Probably Gonna Get Out Of Casey Coleman" start, working 5 and allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, 4 walks, and 4 Ks. Alberto Cabrera and Chang-Yong Lim each worked an inning, walking one and striking out two each. Cabrera added a hit to his line. Both were scoreless. Marcus Hatley worked the last two and allowed 2 runs on four hits and 3 Ks. Given that the I-Cubs used up a month's worth of offensive output, I doubt we'll see an interesting game the rest of the season.

Mobile BayBears 4 @ Tennessee Smokies 3

Javier Baez was 0-4 with a K and made his 11th error. He's allowed an off day every now and again. Arismendy Alcantara went hitless but had two walks in 4 PAs. Justin Bour was 1-3 with a homer. Rubi Silva was was 1-3 with a homer and HOLY SHIT RUBI SILVA WALKED. This was just his 17th walk in 118 games, so it's worth celebrating. Brett Jackson had a double in a 1-3 day. Wooo.

Dae-Eun Rhee worked 6 1/3, allowing 2 unearned runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, and 2 Ks. Hunter Cervenka got an out without issue. Tony Zych gave up 2 runs on 5 hits in an inning and a third to take the loss. P.J. Francescon fanned 2 in a perfect 9th.

Daytona Cubs 7 @ Tampa Yankees 3

Kris Bryant was 2-5 with a double. He has 1 walk so far at Daytona. Dan Vogelbach was 0-2 but walked 3 times. Anthony Giansanti was 2-4 with 2 SBs. Wes Darvill was 3-5.

The returns are early, but I think Corey Black might be pretty mediocre. He worked 5 innings yesterday, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 walks and 2 Ks. Nothing about that excites me. All 10 of his batted ball outs were on grounders though, so that's a little redeeming. Frank Del Valle worked 2 innings, gave up 3 hits, but kept any of them from crossing, striking out 1. Ryan Searle worked an inning, striking out 2 and walking 2. Lendy Castillo gave up a hit and struck out 1 in the ninth.

Kane County Cougars 5 @ Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3

Everyone had a hit except Gioskar Amaya in this one, who was 0-4, but did reach on an error once. Oliver Zapata was 2-5 with a double and a triple. Giuseppe Papaccio was 1-4 with a homer. Jose Dore was 1-3 with a 3B. Trevor Gretzky had a 2-4 day with a triple of his own.

Tayler Scott worked 6 and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, 3 walks, and 6 Ks. The bullpen didn't blow it.

Boise Hawks 2 @ Hillsboro Hops 1

No XBHs for the Hawks in this one. Kevin Encarnacion went 2-4. Jacob Rogers was 3-4.

Duane Underwood had a nice start, going 5 and allowing a run on 3 hits, a BB, and 3 Ks. Zack Godley continues to be really, really good in Boise, working 2 and striking out 3. Jasvir Rakkar allowed a hit while striking out 2 in the 8th. And Eddie Orozco got the save, pairing a walk with a K.

AZL Angels 2 @ AZL Cubs 4

Rafael Dolis is rehabbing here, working the first inning, and allowing a walk against a K in a scoreless frame. Daury Torrez worked 6, allowing 3 hits with no runs and 6 Ks. Trevor Clifton was not great, allowing 2 runs in 2 innings on 2 hits and a walk. He struck out 4.

DSL Cubs 8 @ DSL Yankees1 3

10 thoughts on “JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-24-13”

Rice Cube wrote:

I went to the ER at the start of the game to figure out what was up with my persistent cough. Went to Walgreens to pick up my meds right as the Cubes were fucking up their last best scoring chance, and drove home just in time to listen to the walk-off hit. Only the Cubes.

Shoulda had that whooping cough vaccine before you got sick, RC. The vaccine also cures you from the desire to whoop it up when the Cubs win (that is, if they ever do).

SVBQuote Reply

So I take it that DJ’s favorite pitcher PJ is now strictly a reliever…

SVBQuote Reply

I just got caught up on OV this morning. Nothing like back to work on Monday! Ha!

The link dmick posted on the anti-anti-steroid guy was pretty interesting, but at the end there was this quote:

Hooton is the anti-steroid activist whose son committed suicide because of steroids, he avers. He’s wrong, but no one wants to argue with a parent who lost a child. So much of today’s anti-PED hysteria is based on the unfounded belief that steroids kill teens and gave Lyle Alzado brain cancer.

At the bold part, I was anticipating a thoughtful discussion about how steroids are not as closely tied to depression and suicide as has been previously reported. Instead, it was a link to a clip from a documentary called “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” that did not refute the link between steroids and suicide. It only suggested that the suicide may have been caused by Hooten’s son taking anti-depressants.

Honestly, I have no idea what science says about steroids and suicide, or antidepressants and suicide, but the link in the article wasn’t helpful in resolving the issue whatsoever. Instead, the author of the anti-anti-steroid article appears to be saying, in that paragraph: I think steroids aren’t such a big deal and I’m going to assert that by 1: flatly stating that another anti-steroid crusader is wrong; 2: highlighting that with a hyperlink to make it look like my statement is justified; 3: linking to something that supports my opinion, but without any real evidence; 4: further cementing the point I’m trying to drive home by calling the rest of the anti-PED response “hysteria.” 5: Blaming Obama.

OK, so he didn’t use 5. Anyway, Bill Madden does seem like an idiot. The article did a good job pointing that out. I guess SB Nation isn’t a sports journalism site, so I shouldn’t have too high of standards for thoroughness or accuracy.

SVBQuote Reply

SVB wrote:

I guess SB Nation isn’t a sports journalism site, so it should have higher standards for thoroughness or accuracy.

fyp

Suburban kidQuote Reply

dmick89 wrote:

@ GW:
I watched a lot of the game today. I didn’t watch the later innings of the 9-inning game, but turned it on at the end of the 9th and laughed. Then I laughed a lot more as I watched the rest.

I watched and/or listened off and on from the 5th to the 12th. It felt good to be a fan again. Cubs are just as I remembered them.

Suburban kidQuote Reply

The Hope Monster is going to start hanging around Soldier Field and the United Center for the next couple of seasons, see if he can get some tangential disappointment.

joshQuote Reply