Meanwhile in Mesa, AZ

[Blarg]

I'm comfortably seated in the Cubs spring training facility watching Chad Hinshaw get thrown out at the plate on a contact play with the added embarrassment of it being a double play.

But let's rewind for a moment and start the game at the start. The Solar Sox are and AFL composite team of Cubs, Angels, Rays, Marlins and A's. Being the home team they started the game with Angels High A prospect Ryan Etsell that managed to get himself in a jamb with runners on 1st and 2nd but induced a sharp one hop grounder to short for an inning ending double play. He has started off the 2nd giving up a solid home run to left field. The kid shows no confidence on the mound, no swagger you might say. In the first he left the mound with shoulders slumped and looking at the dirt. Every batter in this inning is Making contact with the ball, no missed bats. He has thrown a lot of pitches and finally gets out of the inning with the third groundout.

Back to the first, Chad Hinshaw lead off with a walk. He went first to third on a single to right field. Then with a left hander Candelaria up the 3rd base coach/manager Johnson sent Hinshaw on contact play which was a sharp grounder to the first baseman down the line. He steps on first, fires home and Henshaw is a dead duck. The inning continued with a two run Homer by Cubs Contreras (yes they still have more talent coming up) followed with a solo shot by Gillaspie of the Rays.

In the bottom of the second the Solar Sox have loaded the bases, Hinshaw reaching on a ball under the glove of the SS and reaching 2nd o a wild throw by the SS in the hole to 2nd, pulling him WY off the bag. The inning ended on a pop-up by Cubs Candelaria that appears to be a pull hitter, I think he fouled five down the first base side.

Estell has started off the third by beaning the leadoff hitter between the shoulders. He's.... not good. His fastball is 2011 Weaver (87-88) without any of the deception or control. If I can go Gabi for a moment, his landing spot isn't consistent, he keeps opening up early and is throwing across himself as his landing foot wanders left. His last pitch he came a little more over the top of his foot dead center and posted a 90 mph pitch that was relayed to 2nd for a caught stealing to end the inning.

We need Butcher to fix him. Oh wait...

More later.

[Blarg]

Maybe someone down in the IE can put down their stat sheet and watch our pitchers for stupidly obvious tells of what they are throwing.

Case in point Angels right hander Harrison Cooney (1-15 with a 6.54 era) that might as well yell out the catchers sign (most of which have were fastballs anyway) because his facial expression gives him away. I don't think I've ever seen a guy show so many teeth on a pitch, looking like Guida De Laurentiis beaming over a plate of pasta. It wouldn't stand out except he doesn't do that when he throws anything off speed.

Edited October 29, 2015 by notti

[Blarg]

Chad Hinshaw is having a good game 1-2 with 2 walks. He is having a Bryce Harper AFL hitting .545 with a 1.356 OPS (leads the team) . Of course that is a five game sample size not including today's game.

Notable was his bases loaded walk against a fireballer from the Rangers that was hitting 99 with a 79 mph off speed pitch. Chad battled back from 0-2 to draw the walk, scoring a run in the process.

[Inside Pitch]

This is alll great stuff.....

[Blarg]

You will be surprised to know Jurickson Profar (not playing today) is in the AFL. I really thought he graduated out of fall league but maybe he is being showcased for a hot stove transaction

[Inside Pitch]

You will be surprised to know Jurickson Profar (not playing today) is in the AFL. I really thought he graduated out of fall league but maybe he is being showcased for a hot stove transaction

 

Ive actually been following his performance -- this is the first live action he's had in nearly years.   Looks like he's been swinging the bat well.

[Blarg]

Every single Angels pitcher has taken the mound today. Mahle pitched the 7th and now Busenitz is pitching the 8th. Straight over the top delivery triggering a 96 on the radar gun. Still waiting for a true off speed pitch, his pitches are in the 91 and up so there is some variation and there was the first 86 curve for a called third strike so he can bend one.

Then went right back to 93 and that ball rests on the left field embankment about 380 feet from the catchers glove. That is the first scoring for the Seguaros since the 2nd inning solo shot.

Busenitz finally gets out of the inning g with a ground out back to him with a line of 1bb 2k 2er. The score is 5-3 solar Sox ahead.

[mulwin444]

Hinshaw looks interesting...drafted out of college, he's 25 as of this past Sept and just completed his first season at AA in 2015.

 

The guy has a lifetime .382 OBP with 71 SB's the past two seasons while only being caught 20 times (78% success rate, 30 out of 35 last season)

 

Last season, he had a .391 OBP but K'd about once a game.

 

Except for the K's, he looks like a definite lead-off type...wonder if he'll be in the consideration for the OF/lead-off role going forward

[Blarg]

It's the top of the 9th and the Seguaros bench is making me laugh. They are drumming on the top of the Gatorade containers for a rally beat. They are light years more talented then the A's drum corps that shouldn't even be allowed in the stadium. They are even mixing up the beat which makes me wonder how many of these guys will be playing with the Sand Frogs next season.

Edited October 29, 2015 by notti

[Blarg]

Just to sooth everyone's mind there was not a single bunt in today's game.

[Second Base]

Hinshaw had a decent performance in the AFL last season too, even though he played in more of a reserve role.  This year he's featuring more prominently.  Good speed, good defender, good approach at the plate and enough pop to keep them honest.  It's hard to judge where he'll end up though. 

 

I've watched him a few times now, and every time, he comes out there and just grinds.  He's very athletic, smart and aggressive, so of course he's typically one of the best players on the field at any time.  But he's also been a couple years older that many of the future "stars" he's keeping pace with.  But then again, he didn't really begin his professional career until he was 23 anyway.  So while he's a couple years older, he's climbing the ladder at a steady rate. 

 

He'll be 25 next year in AAA, and could find himself in the majors at 26.  The big questions center around if the Angels will even have a spot for him, and just what sort of spot his performance demands.  Just a guess, but I think he ends up being a good quality 4th OF.  Those guys can make a difference, just ask the Cardinals. 

[Blarg]

The grandson of Yaz is playing right field tonight for the Peoria Javelinas. Hopefully Baltimore has more luck with him than the Angels did with Bozo the Clowns grandson.

[Blarg]

First blood by the Salt River Rafters come on a hit by Palma, he steals 2nd, steals 3rd and the one hop from the catcher skips into left field which allows him to roll on home. Camargo from Atlanta did a poor job positioning to field that throw but the error went to the catcher Sisco from Baltimore.

It's starting to rain.

[DowningRules]

Being at an AFL game right now sounds pretty great. Just pure baseball.  

[Blarg]

Right now pure pain for Oscar Hernandez that just fouled a ball off his shin. It sounded like he hit the ball twice with the bat and he went down hard and was down for a while. Eventually he got up and ended hitting a long fly out to left.

[Blarg]

This has been a really sloppy game so far, the official scorer could run out of ink write error over and over. Five so far and one set up a 1st and 3rd where it should have been a routine double play.

Should have been but McNeil (NYM) let's a grounder ideal for a double play bounce off the lip of his glove and manages to keep kicking it in front of him like a soccer player until he grabs it up, steps late on the bag at second then throws the ball into end of the dugout.

Now I told you all that so you would get the picture in your head loud noise from the crowd and some level of excitement among those attending.

Except for one guy. One really weird guy that has any seat in the stadium to choose from and decides the last seat in the last row down the left field line is the perfect place to take a nap.

Carmago (ATL) is a left hander at the plate and scorched a line drive down the left field line hitting a rail right above sleeping beauty's head. A few inches lower and we have paramedics. He jumps up out of his seat like he had been hit and the crowd is now laughing at him.

What makes it funnier is the next pitch Camargo scorched another pitch to the exact same spot almost hitting him again. We are all laughing and one guy near me says "Do you think he knows him?"

Edited October 30, 2015 by notti

[Second Base]

How many in attendance?

[Docwaukee]

Thanks for the update Eric.  

 

Hinshaw is one of the position players in our system that is somewhat interesting.  I think he's got a bit more pop than he showed in AA this year.  Plus, he was hurt with a torn ligament in his hand.  

 

He probably ends up a Cowgill type guy but he does seem to have some upside to be a poor man's adam eaton.  

 

Because they went heavy on the college side, we could see some guys in the mid to late 20's breaking through over the next couple of years.  

 

I also think Eppler is gonna be pretty active on the scrap heap.   

[Blarg]

Day two, Scottsdale stadium with the Solar Sox vs the Scorpions. Chad Hinshaw is leading off again.

But first, I arrived in downtown early to pick up lunch at R&R before the game. Destroying my diet again using the I'm on vacation excuse I ordered up a burger with bacon, grilled mushroom and onions with a pesto aoli and a side of bacon Brussel sprouts. Almost as delish as the over tanned bartender.

It was getting close to game time and I needed the check, she was right in front of me but I waited because she was unloading and loading the dishwasher. Burger, beer, busty woman doing dishes you just don't interrupt that moment.

So, yeah... Anyways Hinshaw took the count to 3-1 before popping out to short right field if anyone cares.

[Blarg]

Justin Healey (BOS) is competent but without a radar gun I can't say for sure where his pitches arrive at but it looks low 90 high 80. Like a lot of the guys I see on the mound his landing is inconsistent, the slim right hander seems to plant his foot facing the on deck circle. On the full wind it's not bad but in the stretch he has the tendency to roll his ankle and that would be bad. Near the end of the inning he started landing more straight on but he was also getting hit hard.

Weather today is low 70's with patchy clouds over a dark blue sky. Perfect.

[Blarg]

The Solar Sox have the worst record in the AFL at 4-10. Mac Williamson (SFG) looks like and hits like a Mac truck, blasting a three run home run about 440 feet to center field. Solar Sox down 4-0 after 3 innings.

[Blarg]

Wilson Contreras is a stud catcher in the Cubs organization. As bad as the Solar Sox record is Contreras is not a contributor to that. He us the opposite, handling the pitching staff well, blocking their errant throws in front of him, throwing out runners and showing plenty of speed on the base paths. He just ripped a single past the SS side of the 2nd base bag and took off running full speed out of the box instead of half speed knowing he was getting first by default.

Too bad we don't have Rondons to spare.

[Blarg]

The game is going slowly and not well for the Solar Sox. It is only 6th and they are down 7-1.

Caleb Adams (LAA) is the pretty much the sole offense for the Sox with an opposite field home run.

Hinshaw has hit the ball well twice with poor results. A hard line out to left and a deep drive to center that hung up.

[Blarg]

It is now the bottom of the 7th level of hell for the Solar Sox. With two outs the Scorpions just keep playing the 1 and 3rd merry go round for 3 more runs to make the score 10-1.

With two innings left even the A's scout that was down in the front row got up and left. First and only female scout I've seen here.

[mtangelsfan]

Day two, Scottsdale stadium with the Solar Sox vs the Scorpions. Chad Hinshaw is leading off again.

But first, I arrived in downtown early to pick up lunch at R&R before the game. Destroying my diet again using the I'm on vacation excuse I ordered up a burger with bacon, grilled mushroom and onions with a pesto aoli and a side of bacon Brussel sprouts. Almost as delish as the over tanned bartender.

It was getting close to game time and I needed the check, she was right in front of me but I waited because she was unloading and loading the dishwasher. Burger, beer, busty woman doing dishes you just don't interrupt that moment.

So, yeah... Anyways Hinshaw took the count to 3-1 before popping out to short right field if anyone cares.

 

What is R&R?