Iowa Cubs : 2013 Edition
Jul. 6th, 2013 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedsitter23Every year, I get in at least one Iowa Cubs game and for posterity sake, it gets press here. Hey, my LJ is in the top 10,000, so suck it.
The diehard baseball fans I know will tell you the future of baseball is often in the Double-A league, the place where you will find most top young prospects, where Triple A can be a bit of a finishing school for those who need just a little polish.
There's little argument to that, though it was exciting to hear (from a local level) that Cubs GM Theo Epstein (for all practical purposes, known as the guy who took the "Moneyball" concept to teams who actually had money and won a couple of World Series that way) feels that prospects shouldn't be rushed and would be seeing more time in Iowa. Thus taking a side in the timeless argument, do you rush a prospect to the majors because you desperately need right now, or do you let them mature while the big league team could use him- Epstein says 'we will sell no wine before it's time".
Which means the Iowa Cubs have a bit of talent.
Here are the current big names in downtown Des Moines-
Junior Lake, 3B- Lake is the 'next big thing'. He's fast and is about as good of a defensive player as you will find in the minors. Lake is a Top 20 prospect on some lists, but has a bit of 'boom or bust' feel about him, either destined for stardom or disappointment.
Brett Jackson, CF- Jackson is Lake except a year later. At one point, considered the top prospect in the Cubs organization, it feels like time has passed Jackson by and he will not live up to his expectation.
Dave Sappelt. LF- Sappelt is noticeably short even if you are drinking $8.50 tall boys (a major league experience with major league prices) watching from the outfield bleachers. Sappelt is an exciting player- fast and with a good glove. He should have fit well as a fourth outfielder in the majors.
Logan Watkins, 2B- Watkins doesn't have the hype of a Lake or Jackson, but shows solid fundamentals, and would seem to have a major league career ahead of some sort. he looked in the game I watched- 3 for 4 with two triples and two runs scored.
Brooks Raley, P- the Cubs have some decent pitching prospects and Raley is often mentioned in those discussions. He started the game I
watched, and looked alternately terrible (giving up five runs early) before finding his control. He has since been called up to Chicago,
The diehard baseball fans I know will tell you the future of baseball is often in the Double-A league, the place where you will find most top young prospects, where Triple A can be a bit of a finishing school for those who need just a little polish.
There's little argument to that, though it was exciting to hear (from a local level) that Cubs GM Theo Epstein (for all practical purposes, known as the guy who took the "Moneyball" concept to teams who actually had money and won a couple of World Series that way) feels that prospects shouldn't be rushed and would be seeing more time in Iowa. Thus taking a side in the timeless argument, do you rush a prospect to the majors because you desperately need right now, or do you let them mature while the big league team could use him- Epstein says 'we will sell no wine before it's time".
Which means the Iowa Cubs have a bit of talent.
Here are the current big names in downtown Des Moines-
Junior Lake, 3B- Lake is the 'next big thing'. He's fast and is about as good of a defensive player as you will find in the minors. Lake is a Top 20 prospect on some lists, but has a bit of 'boom or bust' feel about him, either destined for stardom or disappointment.
Brett Jackson, CF- Jackson is Lake except a year later. At one point, considered the top prospect in the Cubs organization, it feels like time has passed Jackson by and he will not live up to his expectation.
Dave Sappelt. LF- Sappelt is noticeably short even if you are drinking $8.50 tall boys (a major league experience with major league prices) watching from the outfield bleachers. Sappelt is an exciting player- fast and with a good glove. He should have fit well as a fourth outfielder in the majors.
Logan Watkins, 2B- Watkins doesn't have the hype of a Lake or Jackson, but shows solid fundamentals, and would seem to have a major league career ahead of some sort. he looked in the game I watched- 3 for 4 with two triples and two runs scored.
Brooks Raley, P- the Cubs have some decent pitching prospects and Raley is often mentioned in those discussions. He started the game I
watched, and looked alternately terrible (giving up five runs early) before finding his control. He has since been called up to Chicago,
