Seven Chicago Cubs Prospects Will Play in the Arizona Fall League, Including Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters
Two of the Chicago Cubs’ last four first round picks will get the opportunity to play in the prospect-heavy Arizona Fall League this, well, Fall. Third baseman Josh Vitters and outfielder Brett Jackson will compete against some top tier competition, and will have the opportunity to refine their skills. Recall that, following a successful 2009 season, the Arizona Fall League is where Starlin Castro announced to the world that he was a legit top prospect.
Vitters and Jackson will be joined by five others, which in total makes a very strong showing for the Cubs.
Vitters has been sidelined with a broken hand after he was hit by a pitch in late July. He began the season at Class A Daytona and batted .291 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 28 games, then was promoted to Double-A Tennessee, where he batted .223 in 63 games.
“Vitters is healthy,” Cubs player development director Oneri Fleita said. “He’ll start taking ground balls this week. He starts hitting next week. The plan is to be ready for the instructional league [on Sept. 15] when we arrive and he’ll play in the Arizona Fall League. He’ll get the at-bats he missed and then go to our winter program in Arizona and get ready for Spring Training.”
Jackson also began the season at Daytona and hit .316 in 67 games with six homers, 19 doubles and 38 RBIs. He was moved up to Tennessee on June 27 and was hitting .274 in 55 games with five homers, 11 doubles, five triples and 23 RBIs. Jackson was hitting .250 in August.
“It’s the first time he’s played 140 games,” Fleita said of the outfielder. “He didn’t get much time off. He’s being challenged. As soon as [the Smokies] get into the playoffs, I’m sure his juices will get going.”
The other Cubs players who will compete for the Mesa Solar Sox in the AFL include pitchers David Cales, Chris Carpenter, Jake Muyco and Kyle Smit and infielder Ryan Flaherty. cubs.com.
The AFL tends to include prospects who are approaching the big leagues, but who need extra work against top competition (though that’s not always the case). Chris Carpenter (not that Chris Carpenter) is one of the Cubs top five pitching prospects, and was recently promoted to AAA Iowa. David Cales has struggled this year after a dominant 2009. Kyle Smit, you may recall, was the reliever received in the Ted Lilly trade. Jake Muyco is another in the long list of Cubs catching prospects converted to pitcher (Carlos Marmol and Randy Wells head up the list). Ryan Flaherty disappointed in AA before being demoted to High A this year.
Randy Wells Wants Mike Quade
The Chicago Cubs aren’t going to settle on a manager for 2011 for a little while, but interim manager Mike Quade is having success so far – at least in terms of his 4-1 record. And at least one player says Quade’s already won him over.
“You guys asked me if it’s an audition for me,” said Quade, now 4-1 since taking over for Lou Piniella on Monday. “Absolutely. Any time you show up here, it’s an audition. Whether or not you pitch your way into this or that or the other thing is determined by your performance. … Every one of these kids is absolutely auditioning. It’s a great opportunity but you’re being watched and evaluted daily as am I.”
[Randy] Wells cast his ballot for Quade for 2011.
“Lou was great and obviously he had some stuff to deal with and Quade stepping in, I think he’s the right guy for the job,” Wells said. “He’s seen a lot of us, we’ve played for him in Triple A [Iowa]. He’s a personable guy. I’m sure he’s auditioning, too.” Muskat Ramblings.
Quade could win out for the rest of the season and the Cubs would still likely take their time deciding on their next manager. But he’s got at least one player on his side already.
Series Preview: Cubs v. Reds, August 27 – August 29, 2010
The Chicago Cubs head to Cincinnati to take on the (still) best team in the National League Central – best not only in record, but in the sense that they might be able to keep the Cardinals out of the playoffs. I may still have antipathy for Dusty Baker, but I can’t say I hate the Reds right now. Time for the Series Preview.
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
Check out the Reds series preview, after the jump
Series Preview: Padres v. Cubs, August 16 – 19, 2010
It’s series preview time again as the Chicago Cubs welcome the best team in the National League to Wrigley Field. So bring it on Braves… er… Dodgers … er Cardinals? Giants?
Wait. San Diego Padres? Um, what?
A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too. So there’s that.
Check out the Padres series preview, after the jump
Casey Coleman to the Rotation, Thomas Diamond to the Pen
After two poor starts (three, if you count his deceptively bad debut against the Brewers), Thomas Diamond has been bumped from the rotation in favor of (surprise) another rookie.
Casey Coleman will take Diamond’s spot in the rotation this week, according to ESPN Chicago. Although the youngster has an ERA over 8, he’s thrown consecutive, long scoreless appearances out of the pen. The Cubs’ system’s pitcher of the year last year, Coleman’s ceiling is as a back of the rotation innings eater, so he’ll get his shot to pull a Randy Wells.
In related news, Andrew Cashner has apparently made illicit love to a close family member of Lou Piniella’s.
Casey Coleman to Chicago, Carlos Silva to the DL
Filed under: Chicago Cubs News, Chicago Cubs Transactions, Cubs Minor Leagues and Prospects
After experiencing a racing heart and chest discomfort, Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Silva spent what was probably a pretty scary night in the hospital. The good news is that everything checked out, but the bad news is that no one is yet quite sure what’s wrong with him – so the Cubs have put him on the 15-day disabled list.
To take his spot in the rotation, the team has called up AAA starter Casey Coleman, who joined the team today, together with fellow AAA starter Thomas Diamond, who is himself replacing departed starter Ted Lilly.
The Cubs called up right-handers Casey Coleman and Thomas Diamond from Triple-A Iowa. Coleman’s father, Joe, and his grandfather, Joe, both pitched in the big leagues, and they are the first family in Major League history to have three generations of pitchers in The Show.
Coleman, 23, was 10-7 with a 4.07 ERA in 20 starts at Iowa. He has struck out 59 in 117 1/3 innings and was holding batters to a .243 average. He doesn’t overpower hitters and has been described as a Greg Maddux-type pitcher.
His father, Joe, played from 1965-79, and made the 1972 All-Star Game with the Tigers. He faced Cubs manager Lou Piniella as well. Casey’s grandfather, Joe, had a 10-year Major League career from 1942-55, including an All-Star season in 1948. cubs.com.
In addition to the pedigree, Coleman comes with some hardware: he was the Cubs’ minor league pitcher of the year last year. Still, despite that achievement and the relative success this year in AAA at just 23, Coleman is not considered a top prospect, or a legitimate threat to take a future starting role in the Cubs’ rotation.
But he got the call over guys like Jay Jackson and Jeff Samardzija, so the Cubs clearly want to give him a shot. And hey, before last year, no one really believed Randy Wells would become a Major League starter, let alone one who would contend for Rookie of the Year.
In other news, it seems Carlos Zambrano will have to wait another week to work his way back into the rotation.
Series Preview: Brewers v. Cubs, August 2 – August 4, 2010
It’s Series Preview time again, as the Chicago Cubs welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to Wrigley Field – still the one team, outside of Arizona, against whom the Cubs have played well this year. The Brewers didn’t conduct a sell-off, so they’ll be at full-strength.
A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
Check out the Brewers series preview, after the jump
Series Preview: Cubs v. Rockies, July 30 – August 1, 2010
The Chicago Cubs head out to Denver to take on a team nearly as disappointing (recently) as the Cubs, the Colorado Rockies. At least it’s really pretty out there. Shrug.
A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year streaks, lineups, game times, broadcast schedule, etc. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
