Iowa Cubs Game Notes for Monday, April 9
TONIGHT'S STARTER: Carlos Marmol makes his first triple-A start tonight. He started 11 games for double-A West Tenn in 2006 before being promoted to Chicago, where he started 13 games (19 appearances total). Marmol appeared in two games on rehab with Iowa in 2006.
CUBS VS. ISOTOPES: The Cubs are 33-31 all-time against the Isotopes (19-13 in Des Moines and 14-18 in Albuquerque). The Cubs were 10-6 against the Isotopes in 2006 (6-2 in Des Moines and 4-4 in Albuquerque).
NAIL BITERS: The Cubs have lost three games, one on a bases loaded walk, one on a wild pitch, and in the third loss, what proved to be the winning run for Round Rock scored on a bases loaded walk.
ROUGH START: The Cubs have not had a runner reach second base since the fifth inning of game one of Sunday's doubleheader. Nobody has reached third base in the last 13 innings. The Cubs did not have a leadoff batter reach base in the doubleheader. Micah Hoffpauir (five) and Felix Pie (four) have combined for nearly as many hits as the rest of the Iowa team (12).
QUICK WORK: The second game of Sunday's doubleheader featured both teams combining to throw one-hitters. The Express won on a wild pitch in the fifth inning by Cory Bailey. The game took one hour and 34 minutes to complete.
LOCKED DOWN: Round Rock's bullpen limited the Cubs to six hits and three walks in 15 innings, while fanning 16 Cubs batters.
POWER OUTAGE: Micah Hoffpauir's two doubles Friday are the Cubs' only extra-base hits of the season. The Cubs have not homered through four games of 2007 after hitting just 120 homers in 2006 (10th in the PCL). The Cubs hit only 108 homers in 2005 (last in the PCL).
HELP YOURSELF: Every spot in the Iowa lineup has recorded a base hit except the pitcher's spot in the order (pitchers are 0-5, team is 0-13). In 2006, Cubs hurlers batted just .098 (19-193) with just two runs batted in.
PRIOR SITUATION: Mark Prior, who was optioned to Iowa, has been assigned to extended spring training and will join Iowa when his pitch count reaches a number that will allow him to be a starter. This is the fourth straight season Prior has begun on the disabled list.
TOP PROSPECT: Baseball America has rated centerfielder Felix Pie as the Cubs' top prospect in 2007 (also #1 in 2006). Also cracking the top 10 list were 2B Eric Patterson (#6) and 3B Scott Moore (#7). Pie's assignment to Iowa marks the sixth time in the last 11 years that the Cubs' top prospect has opened the season with Iowa, joining Brooks Kieschnick (1996), Kerry Wood (1998), Corey Patterson (2001) and Hee Seop Choi (2003). Mark Prior was the Cubs' top prospect in 2002 but did not join the Iowa Cubs until May of 2002 and Kerry Wood was the top prospect in 1997 but did not join the I-Cubs until July of 1997.
COACHING STAFF: Buddy Bailey is in his first season as manager of the Iowa Cubs and in his second in the Cubs organization. He spent the 2006 season as the Cubs' catching and baserunning coordinator. Bailey, 50, is in his 28th year in pro ball, and his 18th season as a manager. He spent seven seasons managing Boston's triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket and has a career record of 1157-1092 (.514). He was named IL Manager of the Year in 1996 and 2003, (fourth manager to win that award twice). He spent three years as a player in the Atlanta Braves system from 1979-1981, batting .210 with six home runs and 45 runs batted in. Von Joshua is back for his second year as Iowa's hitting coach and former Iowa Cub Mike Harkey is in his first year as Iowa's pitching coach. Harkey spent 2006 as a bullpen coach for the Florida Marlins. It is his eighth year as a pitching coach. Trainer Bob Grimes returns for his 11th season with Iowa.