It is that time of year again, folks. The draft is out of the way, international free agent signing season is in full swing, the trade deadline falls within the month, and eyes everywhere are glued to Twitter and minor league dugouts. #Hugwatch has returned.
Seems like it is too early to you? Then you are forgetting your Cubs’ history. It was on this day, this very day, just three years ago that Hugwatch exploded the Twitters when a very good shortstop prospect Addison Russell was lifted from his minor league game. That same evening the Cubs acquired Russell in what proved to be a very key move in the build up to the 2016 World Series.
I still remember that night. I was at home watching Independence Day (as we do every July 4), and we had just paused the movie to get drinks. So I looked at Twitter. Then I grabbed my laptop, my Prospect Handbook, checked in with Brett, and did not see much of the rest of the movie.
I don’t expect anything that dramatic today, but you never know. We are definitely into trade season, and that means watching dugouts for congratulatory / farewell hugs has become the unofficial minor league pasttime.
Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Iowa 12, Round Rock 7
The Cubs did not score in the first or the sixth, and only in those two innings.
Aaron Brooks: 6 IP, 3 R, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Pierce Johnson: 1 IP, and a line of zeroes.
Jacob Hannemann: 2 for 5
Jemile Weeks: 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB
Kyle Schwarber: 0 for 4, BB
Chris Dominguez: 2 for 5
Mark Zagunis: 1 for 4, 2B, BB
Chesny Young: 3 for 5, 2B, SB
John Andreoli: 2 for 4, 3B, HR, BB
Ali Solis: 3 for 5, 2B
Elliot Soto: 2 for 4, 2B, 3B
Double A: Tennessee Smokies
Jackson 4, Tennessee 1
Another relatively high strikeout game for Tseng.
Jen-Ho Tseng: 6.2 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 10 K
James Pugliese: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 K
David Bote: 1 for 2, 2 BB
High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach 11, Down East 7 in eleven innings.
A pair of two run homers in extras lifted the Pelicans.
Tom Hatch: 5 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Scott Effross: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Trent Giambrone: 3 for 6, 2B
Eloy Jimenez: 4 for 6, HR
Matt Rose: 3 for 5, 2B, 3B, HR, BB
Bryant Flete: 1 for 2, 2B, BB
Jesse Hodges: 2 for 5, 3B, HR
Connor Myers: 2 for 6, 2B
Low A: South Bend Cubs
Lansing 8, South Bend 2
The Cubs allowed eight walks and committed three errors.
Erling Moreno: 5 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 6 H, 6 BB, 5 K
Jason Heyward: 2 for 3
Kevonte Mitchell: 1 for 2, 2B, BB
Austin Upshaw: 2 for 4, 2B
Short Season A: Eugene Emeralds
Vancouver 7, Eugene 2
The trip to Canada is now over. Eugene returns home for today’s game.
Javier Assad: 4 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 9 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Holden Cammack: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Austin Filiere: 1 for 3, BB
Edgar Rondon: 1 for 3, BB
Rookie: AZL Cubs
Cubs 7, Rangers 6
The Cubs are back to .500.
Jose Albertos: 4.1 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Eugenio Palma: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K
Darryl Wilson: 2 for 3, 2 HR
Marcus Mastrobuoni: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Rafael Mejia: 2 for 4, 2B, HR
Carlos Diaz: 1 for 4, 2B
Fidel Mejia: 2 for 4
Delvin Zinn: 2 for 4
Other Notes
Independence Day we watch every July 4, but I also watch the James Earl Jones speech from Field of Dreams. And it seems that every year as the world grows more chaotic, that speech just gets better. In all honesty, I’m not much of a fan of the rest of the movie (book isn’t bad, though). I just really like that speech.
Pierce Johnson has not allowed a hit in his last four appearance, and in that span he has walked just one.
Austin Upshaw, the Cubs 13th round pick last month, has made it to South Bend. His journey is fairly typical for what we can expect from college position players and relievers drafted by the Cubs. He signed, went to Arizona for orientation, and appeared in a few games with Mesa (four in his case). But very quickly he was moved up the ladder. In his case he jumped Eugene and went straight to South Bend, but Eugene will be a fairly common destination for those guys.
NEWSLETTER
