Game Notes for Sunday, April 12
TONIGHT'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and Memphis Redbirds, Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, play the finale of a four-game series to open the 2015 season at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tenn. This is the fourth game of the season between the two clubs. Memphis has won 18 of the last 25 games between the two clubs. Iowa's victory in last night;s contest snapped Memphis; seven-game winnings streak against the I-Cubs.
GOOD TO BE CH/KRIS: Iowa bats exploded for 16 hits in last night's 13-0 win over Memphis. It was the first win of the 2015 season for Iowa, and saw the first two I-Cub home runs of the season as well. Chris Valaika struck first with a two-run homer in the sixth off Redbirds right-hander Tyler Waldron. Kris Bryant capped off the night with a two-run shot of his own off right-hander Boone Whiting. Iowa right-hander Eric Jokisch shutout the Redbirds over 4.2 innings and Blake Cooper picked up his first Triple-A win with 2.1 perfect innings in relief.
LEFT SIDE, STRONG SIDE: The Chicago Cubs were named the number one farm system in all of Major League Baseball by Baseball America, ESPN.com, Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com's Jim Callis, and Sporting News going into the 2015 season. Shortstop Addison Russell and third baseman Kris Bryant highlighted the lists as top five prospects on each list. Through three games, Russell is 4-for-13 with a 2B, two runs, a walk and an RBI. Bryant is 4-for-12 with a HR, 2B, three runs, four RBI and a stolen base.
SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL: The offseason saw a flurry of changes in PCL affiliations. During the two-week negotiation window in Sept., six MLB franchises swapped Triple-A PCL affiliations:
- Milwaukee Brewers - from Nashville to Colorado Springs
- Houston Astros - from Okla. City to Fresno
- San Francisco Giants - from Fresno to Sacramento
- Colorado Rockies - from Co. Springs to Albuquerque
- Oakland A's - from Sacramento to Nashville
- LA Dodgers - from Albuquerque to OKC Dodgers (New nickname for 2015 season)
VS. MEMPHIS: This is the fourth of a four-game series between the Cubs and Redbirds and thefourth of 16 scheduled games in the season series. Memphis leads the season series 2-1. The Redbirds make their first trip to Principal Park June 6-9, and return to open the second half July 16-18 after the Triple-A All Star Game. The Cubs head back to AutoZone Park in Memphis July 24-27. Last year, the Redbirds won the season series 12-4, going 8-1 at home and taking four of seven at Principal Park. Memphis is now 24-11 against the I-Cubs over the past two seasons. The Redbirds lead the all-time PCL series 130-112.
MEET THE MANAGER: Marty Pevey returns for his third season as Iowa's manager. He is the first manager to lead the I-Cubs for three consecutive seasons since Mike Quade (2003-06). Pevey joined the Cubs in 2009 as the manager for single-A Peoria in the Midwest League and led the Chiefs to an 81-57 overall record, a second-half division title, and was named the league's co-Manager of the Year. He spent three seasons as the organization's catching coordinator before returning to the dugout with Iowa last year. Pevey managed and coached in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization from 1996-2008. He was the South Atlantic League Manger of the Year in 1998 with Hagerstown, won the award in the Florida State League with Dunedin in 2000, and in the Eastern League with New Haven in 2003. In 12-plus seasons as a manager, Pevey has a 785-767 (.506) career record.
COACHES' CORNER: The lone new addition to the 2015 field staff is pitching coach Mike Cather. This is Cather's first season in the Cubs organization. He comes to Iowa from Triple-A El Paso where he spent 2014 as the Chihuahuas' pitching coach. Prior to that, he spent two seasons as San Diego's roving minor league pitching coordinator. Hitting Coach Brian Harper returns for his third season with the club. Assistant Hitting Coach Leo Perez begins his seventh season in the Cubs' system, and first with Iowa. He comes to the I-Cubs from Double-A Tennessee. Athletic Trainer Scott Barringer and Strength Coach Ryan Claussen begin their second season with Iowa after moving up from Double-A Tenneessee in 2014. Video Coordinator Mike Langill joins Iowa after spending the 2013 and 2014 seasons at Single-A Kane County in the same capacity.