Minor League Opening Day Recaps

The Cubs made some roster moves today, officially placing Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells on the disabled list. Casey Coleman will be added to the roster before he starts on Sunday. Jeff Stevens has been recalled from Triple-A and will pitch out of the bullpen.

Last night was minor league opening day throughout the organization. The Cubs had some successful openers throughout the organization. All teams in the organization are wearing the number ten patches.

The Iowa Cubs beat Round Rock 12-9 last night. Today, the made a roster move called Polin Trinidad up from Double-A to take Stevens' spot on the roster. Louis Montenez and Ty Wright each had three hits and three RBIs in the win. Wright and Bryan LaHair both homered in the win. Bill Dancy was managed his first game in Iowa after being named the Southern League Manager of the Year at the Double-A level last season.

The Chattanooga Lookouts were the victims of the Tennessee Smokies opening day hit parade. Tennessee won the game 12-4. Matt Spencer and Josh Vitters each had three hits, while Spencer and Rebel Ridling both homered. Chris Rusin pitched five inning and picked up the victory.


In Class-A Advanced action, the Daytona Cubs stared their season with a 3-2 win over Brevard County. Michael Burgess homered in the fifth to put the D-Cubs on the scoreboard. Matt Cerda delivered the big blow, a two run double in the seventh to put Daytona on top.

The Peoria Chiefs were the only Cub affiliate to drop its opener. They fell 7-3 at home against Cedar Rapids in a game that was suspended yesterday in the seventh and finished up today. Greg Rohan went 2-for-4 with two doubles. The Cubs first round draft pick last June, Hayden Simpson, made his organizational debut on the mound. He struck out seven in 3.2 innings, allowing only a solo homer. Jeffry Antigua struggled in relief and was hammered with the loss.

Cubs Name Minor League Coaches

The 2011 minor league coaching staffs for all the teams in the Cubs organization have been set. Here is the full list.


Coordinators
Field- Dave Bialas, returning for 10th year

Pitching- Former Smokies pitching coach, promoted to take over for Mike Mason

Hitting- Tom Beyers, former Smokies hitting coach, promoted to take over for Dave Keller, who joins Quade's staff

Infield- Franklin Font, entering his third season

Latin American Field Coordinator- Carmelo Martinez, 4th season

Catching- Marty Pevey, second season

Outfield/Base running- Lee Tinsley, first year. Tinsley spent five years in the big leagues and has been the first base coach for the Seattle Mariners for the past two seasons.

Strength/Conditioning- Doug Jarrow, set for his fourth year in his current position. He served in the same role for the Dodgers for five seasons before coming to the Cubs.

Athletic Training Coordinator- Justin Sharpe, returning for the seventh straight year

Rehab Coordinator- Chuck Baughman, sixth season in current position, 11th with the organization overall

Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Manager- Bill Dancy, will take of the I-Cubs after being named the 2010 Southern League Manager of the Year

Pitching Coach- Mike Mason, the ex-Cubs player is back for his fourth season

Hitting Coach- Von Joshua, has been in Iowa for the last six years besides a stint as the big league hitting coach during the 2009 season

Double-A Tennessee Smokies
Manager- Brian Harper, the Cubs welcome a new skipper to the organization. Harper led the Single-A San Jose Giants to the California League title this past season. He played in over 1,000 games as a big league catcher for seven different clubs.

Pitching Coach- Marty Mason, joins Harper's staff after spending 25 years in the Cardinals system. He was on the big league staff in St. Louis for 11 years.

Hitting Coach- Mariano Duncan, another newcomer, has spent five years as the Dodgers first base coach and 12 years as a big league infielder.

Class-A Advanced Daytona Cubs
Manager- Buddy Bailey returns for his third year. Buddy is has been a minor league skipper for 22 years, five in the organization.

Pitching Coach- Tom Pratt, also heading into his third year in Daytona.

Hitting Coach- Barbaro Garbey, has been promoted from Peoria to Daytona for the 2011 season.

Class-A Peoria Chiefs
Manager- Casey Kopitzke, set for his third year in the Chicago chain and his second in Peoria. Kopitzke was the manager of the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League last month.

Pitching Coach- Jeff Fassero, entering his second year in the organization and his first on the Chiefs staff. Fassero, a former big leaguer, was the pitching coach of the Boise Hawks this past season.

Hitting Coach- Ricardo Medina, has served on the staffs of several short season teams in the system over the past few years. Medina will begin his first year with a team that plays a "full season".

Class-A Short Season Boise Hawks
Manager- Mark Johnson, after a long playing career in baseball, Johnson hangs up the cleats and starts a coaching career. He has served as a player/coach at Iowa for a few years and will now be the manager of the Boise Hawks.

Pitching Coach- David Rosario, bumped down a notch after coaching at Peoria in 2010.

Hitting Coach- Desi Wilson, will begin his fourth season in the organization and his first with the Hawks.

Rookie Ball
Mesa Manager- Juan Cabrera
Mesa Pitching Coach- Rick Tronerud
Mesa Hitting Coach- Jason Dubois, begins his coaching career after a long playing career that included several stints in the Cubs organization and one on the big league roster
Mesa Assistant- Frank Castillo
DSL #1 Manager- Manuel Callado
DSL #1 Pitching Coach- Leo Hernandez
DSL #1 Hitting Coach- Alberto Garcia
DSL #2 Manager- Yudith Ozorio
DSL #2 Pitching Coach- Anderson Tavares
DSL #2 Hitting Coaches- Leo Perez and Franklin Blanco

That's it for now, but there are many more posts to come this weekend and throughout the next few weeks.

The Down on the Farm Report 7/3/10

With all my other writings on the Cubs system, I haven't had much of a chance to update this site on Cubs prospects yet this season. Now that the present isn't looking so great, it's a perfect time to look to the future! If you are not aware yet, I tweet about the Cubs minor league system. Go to www.twitter.com/cubsfarmupdates. Also, I write a Down on the Farm Report twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) over at www.ChicagoCubsOnline.com.

Now let's get into how the future Cubs are doing, level by level.

AAA-Iowa Cubs
Overall Record: 43-37
Place in Division: 3rd, 0.5 GB of first
Leading Hitter: Matt Camp, .302
HR Leader: Jason Dubois, 11
RBI Leader: Micah Hoffpauir, 54
Best OBP: Bobby Scales, .389
Best ERA: Thomas Diamond, 2.53
Best WHIP: Jay Jackson, 1.10
Most Wins: Casey Coleman, 7
Most Ks: Thomas Diamond, 87
Saves Leader: Brian Schlitter, 12- promoted to MLB
AAA-All Stars (July 14): Pitcher Thomas Diamond and SS Darwin Barney
Futures Game: Manager Ryne Sandberg will serve as a coach for the World Team

AA-Tennessee Smokies
Overall Record: 48-32
First Half Finish: First Place, clinched playoff birth
Second Half Record: 6-5
Place in division: 2nd, 1 GB
Leading Hitter: Tony Campana, .321
HR Leader: Russ Canzer/Ty Wright (promoted to AAA), 10
RBI Leader: Ty Wright, 51- promoted to AAA
Best OBP: Blake Lalli, .383
Best ERA: Hung-Wen Chen, 2.96
Best WHIP: Austin Bibens-Dirkx, 1.01
Wins Leader: Hung-Wen Chen, 8
Ks Leader: Craig Muschko, 8
Saves Leader: David Cales, 10
Southern League All-Star (July 12) Starters: Blake Lalli, Robinson Chirinos, and Tony Campana
Southern League All-Star Reserves: Steve Clevenger, Ty Wright (replaced on roster, callup)
Southern League All-Star Pitchers: Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Hung-Wen Chen, David Cales, and Ryan Butcher
MLB Futures Game: Outfielder Brett Jackson will play for U.S. team, manager Bill Dancy will be a coach for team U.S.A.

Class-A Advanced Daytona Cubs
Overall Record: 39-40
First Half Finish: 5th, 7 GB
Second Half Record: 5-4
Place in Division: Tied for 2nd, 2 GB
Leading Hitter: Brett Jackson, .316 promoted to AA-Tennessee
HR Leader: Brett Jackson, 6
RBI Leader: DJ LeMahieu, 51
Best OBP: Brett Jackson, .420
Best ERA: Chris Archer, 2.86
Best WHIP: Chris Rusin, 1.07
Win Leader: Chris Archer, 7
K Leader: Chris Archer, 82
Saves Leader: Luke Sommer, 6
FSL All-Stars: (played in the game on June 12): Jackson, Rafael Dolis, Aaron Shafer

Class-A Peoria Chiefs
Overall Record: 41-36
First Half Finish: 3rd, 5.5 GB
Second Half Record: 3-5
Place in Division: Tied for 6th, 3 GB
Leading Hitter: Greg Rohan, .290
HR Leader: Justin Bour, 8
RBI Leader: Greg Rohan, 50
Best OBP: Matt Cerda, .370
Best ERA: Su-Min Jung, 3.74
Best WHIP: Jeffry Antigua, 1.37
Wins Leader: Trey McNutt/Rob Whitenack, 6
Ks Leader: Try McNutt, 70 promoted to Daytona
Saves Leader: Jordan Latham, 10
Midwest League All-Stars (June 22): Hak-Ju Lee, Logan Watkins, Matt Cerda, & Trey McNutt
Futures Game (July 11): Hak-Ju Lee, World Team

Updates from this year's draft picks, the Boise Hawks, and the Mesa Cubs next time!

Down on the Farm: Who's Hot, Who's Not?

With the struggles of the Chicago Cubs, looking to the future is always fun. Today, let us see how the Cubs' prospects are fairing so far this season.

AAA-Iowa (18-18)

Who's Hot?

• Chad Tracy: Since being sent down, Tracy is hitting .586 in 7 games. The I-Cubs are 6-0 in games that Chad starts. He has 8 RBIs.
• Matt Camp: This utility man leads the team among guys with 100 or more ABs with a .322 average. He is a good contact hitter (33 of 39 hits are singles, the rest doubles).
• Brad Snyder: Brad's an outfielder with 5 homers and 26 RBIs. In addition to his power, Snyder has an OBP of .299 in 33 games.
• Blake Parker: 1-1 with an ERA of just 1.10 in 12 games out of the Iowa bullpen. He could see time in the Cubs' pen before the end of the year.
• Andrew Cashner: Went 6 innings and allowed just 1 run in his first AAA start after being called up from Tennessee.
• Mitch Atkins: 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 10 games (2 starts). He has joined the rotation and is pitching very well.

Who's Not?

• Micah Hoffpauir: Hitting just .195 in 34 games. Hoffpauir has been scuffling at AAA and has really gone steadily downhill in the past 12 months. He may never see the Wrigley Field diamond again.
• Welington Castillo: With an average of just .239, Castillo is starting to show some signs of improvement. His defense has remained consistent even with his struggles at the plate.
• J.R. Mathes: 3-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 8 starts. The lefty posted 12 wins for Iowa last season.

AA-Tennessee (22-14)

Who's Hot?

• Steve Clevenger: The catcher had a great week at the plate. He is now hitting .360 in 21 games, which ranks first among Smokies on the active roster. Clevenger is fighting to earn some playing time in an organization that is filled with young catchers.
• Josh Vitters: .333 average since being bumped up to AA. Three of his 7 hits are extra base knocks.
• Austin Bibens-Dirkx: Has been the ace of the Tennessee rotation so far this season. After a great season at Peoria last year, the adjustment period has gone swiftly. Bibens-Dirkx is 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA in 7 starts.
• Matt Spencer: Since coming off the DL, Spencer has hit .340 in 16 games. Matt, a product of the Jake Fox/Aaron Miles trade, already has 3 homers and 12 runs batted in.

Who's Not?

• Ryan Flaherty: Hit just .183 in 23 games before finally being sent down to Daytona.
• Marwin Gonzalez: Has gotten off to a slow start at the dish since being called up to take Castro's place a short. Gonzalez has a .167 average in 8 games.
• Jeff Muyco: Muyco, who made a few appearances as a call-up at HoHoKam Park this spring, has an ERA over seven. He has notched 5 saves in 15 games out of the Smokies bullpen, but he will be given less and less save chances because of his beefy ERA.
• Alex Maestri: The ex-World Baseball Classic player has a 6.20 ERA in 14 relief appearances. The Tennessee bullpen has not been that effective this season.

We'll have a "Who's Hot, Who's Not" for the Class A clubs (Daytona and Peoria) later in the week.

Extended Spring Training Roster

Many Chicago Cubs prospects have started their 2010 season in Mesa getting some work in at Fitch Park. The Extended Spring Training club is filled with players that are there for a variety of reasons. Some are lower level prospects that will join the Boise Hawks when their shortened season begins in June. Some are recovering from injuries, while others are working on position changes or other adjustments. The clubs is managed by former Cub Jody Davis, who will manage the Hawks after the 2 month Extended Spring season is over.

The Cubs EXST team is 2-3-2 in game action against mostly the Giants, A's, and Angels.

Here is the latest roster from Mesa (thanks to www.thecubreporter.com and other sources):

• Frank Batista, P
• Rogelio Carmona, P
• Eduardo Figueroa, P
• Jesse Ginley, P
• Yohan Gonzalez, P
• Gian Guzman, P
• Cody Hams, P
• Alvido Jimenez, P
• Danny Keefe, P
• Austin Kirk, P
• James Leverton, P
• Luis Liria, P
• Hector Mayora, P
• Jade Mendez, P
• John Mincone, P
• Tarlandus Mitchell, P
• Marcos Perez, P
• Jose Rosario, P
• Drew Rundle, P (converted OF)
• Alvaro Sosa, P (converted C)
• Larry Suarez, P
• Tzu-An Wang, P
• Yao-Lin Wang, P
• Sergio Burruel, C
• Jose Guevara, C
• Jae-Hoon Ha, C
• Jonathan Mota, C (converted INF)
• Carlos Romero, C
• Arismendy Alcantara, INF
• Vismeldy Bieneme, INF
• Ping-Chien Chen, INF
• Wes Darvill, INF
• Rafael Disla, INF
• Brandon May, INF
• Blair Springfield, INF
• Charles Thomas, INF
• Bobby Wagner, INF
• Xavier Batista, OF
• Runey Davis, OF
• D.J. Fitzgerald, OF
• Francisco Guzman, OF
• Albert Hernandez, OF
• Kyung-Min Na, OF
• Manuel Pestana, OF
• Cody Shields, OF

Guys that have been in Mesa on Injury Rehab:

• Justin Bristow, P
• Julio Castillo, P
• Angel Guzman, P
• Marcus Hatley, P
• Dylan Johnston, P
• Dong-Yub Kim, OF
• Casey Lambert, LHP
• Toby Matchulat, RHP
• Rebel Ridling, 1B
• Melvin Rosa, RHP
• Adam Spencer, RHP
• Jon Nagel, RHP

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always.

Mid-Winter Down on the Farm Report

Lots of Cubs news this week, but let's take a day to check in with what the future holds. This will be our first "Down on the Farm" report of 2010! The Cubs have a strong minor league organization, so we start with some rankings.

Top 11 Cubs Prospects
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus ranked the top 11 minor league players in the Chicago Cubs organization. Here is the link to his article, and here is the list, which includes Kevin's "four more", so really there is the top 15:
1. Josh Vitters, 3B: 5 stars
2. Starlin Castro, SS: 5 stars
3. Hak-Ju Lee, SS: 4 stars
4. Brett Jackson, CF: 4 stars
5. Andrew Cashner, RHP: 3 stars
6. Jay Jackson, RHP: 3 stars
7. Chris Carpenter, RHP: 3 stars
8. Chris Archer, RHP: 3 stars
9. Kyler Burke, OF: 3 stars
10. Ryan Flaherty, INF: 3 stars
11. John Gaub, LHP: 3 stars

4 More...
12. Chris Huseby, RHP
13. Logan Watkins, INF
14. Dae-Eun Rhee, LHP
15. Darwin Barney, SS

Vineline's Ranks
Each year, Vineline, the official monthly magazine of the Chicago Cubs, ranks the best Cubs prospects. The full list of "50 names from the farm" will be in the February issue, but we got a nice preview at last week's Cubs Convention.

Best Command: Casey Coleman
Best Poise/Make up: Hung-Wen Chen
Best Athleticism: Jay Jackson
Best Mechanics: Andrew Cashner
Best Durability: (tie) Mitch Atkins, Hung-Wen Chen, and Casey Coleman
Best Fastball: Rafael Dolis
Best Curveball: Aaron Shafer
Best Change-up: Jeff Antigua
Best Slider: Andrew Cashner
Best Other: Hung-Wen Chen
Best Contact Hitter (tie): Logan Watkins and Hak-Ju Lee
Best Power Hitter (tie): Rebel Ridling and Ryan Flaherty
Best Plate Discipline (tie): Kyler Burke and James Adduci
Best Clutch Hitter: Rebel Ridling
Best Situational Hitter: Rebel Ridling

Best Range by position:
C- Welington Castillo
1B- Rebel Ridling
2B- Logan Watkins
3B (tie)- Ryan Flaherty and Jonathan Mota
SS- Starlin Castro
OF- Jose Valdez

Best Arm Strength by position:
C- Welington Castillo
1B- Jovan Rosa
2B- Logan Watkins
3B- Junior Lake
SS- Starlin Castro
OF- Kyler Burke

Best Throwing Accuracy by position:
C (tie)- Robinson Chirinos and Steve Clevenger
1B- Rebel Ridling
2B- Marwin Gonzalez
3B- Marquez Smith
SS (tie)- Nate Sampson and Hak-Ju Lee
OF- Kyler Burke

Best Foot workby position:
C- Welington Castillo
1B- Rebel Ridling
2B- Logan Watkins
3B (tie)- Ryan Flaherty and Jonathan Mota
OF (tie)- Sam Fuld, Brett Jackson, and Jose Valdez

Best Raw Speed (tie): Jose Valdez, Hak-Ju Lee
Best Base-Stealing Ability (tie): Jose Valdez, Hak-Jue Lee
Best Home-to-First (tie): Jose Valdez, Hak-Ju Lee
Best Baserunning Instincts: James Adduci
Best Heart/Work Ethic: James Adduci and Matt Camp
Best Competitiveness: Brett Jackson, Darwin Barney, and Starlin Castro
Best Baseball IQ: Darwin Barney

Minor League Invites to Big League Spring Training
J.R Mathes, LHP
James Russell, LHP
Andrew Cashner, RHP
Casey Coleman, RHP
Thomas Diamond, RHP
Jeff Kennard, RHP
Vince Perkins, RHP
Robinson Chirinos, C
Steve Clevenger, C
Blake Lalli, C
Chris Robinson, C
Darwin Barney, SS
Matt Camp, INF/OF
Starlin Castro, SS
Bryan LaHair, 1B
Chad Tracy, 3B/1B
Bobby Scales, INF/OF
Josh Vitters, 3B
Brett Jackson, OF
Brad Snyder, OF

Minor League 2010 Schedules
Iowa Cubs
Tennessee Smokies
Daytona Cubs
Peoria Chiefs
Boise Hawks (short season)

Lots of interesting names to follow that are on their way up in the Cubs system!