Results tagged ‘ Ian Stewart ’
Cubs minor league recap: 4/14/13
Brian Bogusevic posted his third-straight, multi-hit game Sunday. (Photo by Stephen Green)
While Kane County’s doubleheader in Wisconsin was postponed due to inclement weather, Iowa, Tennessee and Daytona all collected a win Sunday. Here are some highlights from yesterday’s action:
Iowa Cubs (3-8)
Iowa won its second game in a row, plating three fifth-inning runs in a 4-1 victory over visiting Albuquerque.
- LHP Chris Rusin (1-1) went seven innings, surrendering one earned run on four hits for the win.
- CF Brian Bogusevic (.378 AVG) recorded his third-straight, multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
- 2B Darwin Barney (.200) went 0-for-1 with three walks, a run scored and a stolen base (1) in the second game of a rehabilitation assignment.
- 3B Ian Stewart (.000) went 0-for-3 with a walk and a RBI (1) in the first game of a rehabilitation assignment.
- 1B Brad Nelson (.205) was 1-for-4 with a team-high two RBI (7).
- RHP Zach Putnam (8.44 ERA) converted his first save, walking one and fanning three in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Tennessee Smokies (5-5)
Tennessee plated two runs in the first inning, one in the fourth inning and four more in the seventh in a 7-3 victory over visiting Chattanooga, the Smokies third straight win.
- RHP Dae-Eun Rhee (1-1) went six innings, surrendering one hit and allowing no earned runs.
- RF Jae-Hoon Ha (.343) reached base four times, going 3-for-3 with a walk, a double (2), a run scored and a RBI (6).
- 2B Ronald Torreyes (.667) reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and a RBI (1).
- LF Rubi Silva (.345) was 2-for-4.
- 3B Jonathan Mota (.227) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI (2).
Daytona Cubs (5-5)
Daytona used a three-run seventh inning to race past host Tampa, 3-1.
- RHP Zach Cates (1-1) surrendered one earned run over six innings, striking out four in the win.
- DH Stephen Bruno (.385) went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He extended his hitting streak to eight games (.424), including six multi-hit affairs.
- 1B Dustin Geiger (.286) went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
- C Micah Gibbs (.286) was 2-for-4 with a double (2) and a RBI (5).
- LHP Frank Del Valle (0.00) converted his second save, striking out the side in a perfect ninth frame.
From the Pages of Vine Line: Q&A with GM Jed Hoyer (Part 1)
(Photo by Stephen Green)
The end of Spring Training marked the beginning of Year Two for Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer. Besides knowing his way around Wrigleyville a little better, he also comes into 2013 with a much improved feel for the organization, at both the major league and minor league levels.
The 2012 Cubs had their share of on-field struggles, so Hoyer spent much of his second offseason with the organization finding ways to improve on last year’s meager win total. But Hoyer has a plan, and he doesn’t want to deviate from it. His focus was on finding players who fit what the Cubs are trying to do.
Part of that plan included making the new front office’s first big free-agent splash, adding 29-year-old right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson, who the team signed to a four-year, $52 million deal in January. Other notable acquisitions included low-risk, high-reward signings like right-handers Scott Baker, Scott Feldman and Carlos Villanueva, and outfielders Nate Schierholtz and Scott Hairston.
For the April issue of Vine Line, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat sat down with Hoyer to talk about the 2013 Cubs, the differences between this season and last, and what to look for as the organization moves forward. We’ll post some of the quotes here on the blog in the next few weeks. To read the entire interview, pick up the April issue or subscribe to Vine Line today.
Vine Line: Coming off a rough year in 2012, what was your top priority this offseason?
Jed Hoyer: As an organization, we’re still not where we want to be from a pitching standpoint. I think that probably the biggest weakness when we got here was depth in pitching, especially at the upper levels. Ideally, you want to home-grow all of your pitching. We don’t have that luxury right now, so we actively sought out a lot of starting pitching. We brought in four guys we see as starters: [Edwin] Jackson, [Scott] Feldman, [Scott] Baker and [Carlos] Villanueva. We’ve had some injuries and setbacks this spring, but we feel we can weather that storm. That was certainly a priority for the offseason.
VL: Jackson’s contract—four years, $52 million—surprised some fans because of the length and amount.
JH: The biggest thing with him is his age. He’s been really durable. He’ll pitch this year at 29 years old. Our goal is to create a really good, young team. At some point, we know we’ll have to delve into free agency. You can’t wait and do it all at once. Signing a 29-year-old pitcher to a four-year deal, we felt, was the right thing to do. Getting him at this age, we feel he still has some upside left and that it was a prudent decision. We’re excited to have him.
VL: Ian Stewart struggled last year and was sidelined by a wrist injury. Why did you decide to bring him back?
JH: We’re not really sure we saw the best of Ian last year. He had the wrist injury, and he never felt 100 percent. We had a lot of discussions about that in the offseason and decided to bring him back, given he had the wrist surgery. We felt he’d be ready to go. Unfortunately, he had a setback early in the spring. I still feel the wrist was an issue with his hitting, but we don’t know how much it affected him last year. We thought the right thing to do was bring him back. It’s hard to find third basemen in today’s game. He’s a really good defender, he’s a left-handed hitter, he has power. There’s a lot there, and hopefully we can unlock it.
VL: How different was this spring compared to last year?
JH: It’s a lot different. I went through the same thing in San Diego when I went there in 2010. I felt so much more comfortable in 2011. Your first year is a blur. Theo and I talk about that all the time. Every face is new from a player standpoint, coaching staff, media, staff. Now you know people, so you feel more comfortable. Even with the players, that’s the biggest thing. It’s a lot different spring in a good way. We hope not to make any changes any time soon and hope to become part of the fabric of the Cubs going forward.
Spring Training Preview: Around the Horn
(Photo by Stephen Green)
Baseball is finally back. Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training this past weekend, and Cubs fans everywhere got a little more excited with the realization that the baseball season is almost here.
To get us back into gear, the February issue of Vine Line previewed the squad heading into Mesa, Ariz. We broke the team down into five categories—starting pitching, relief pitching, catchers, infielders and outfielders—to give fans a clearer picture of what to expect when the Cubs break camp and head to Chicago.
Below is a look at the infield. The February issue is on newsstands now, with single issues available by calling 800-618-8377. Or visit the Vine Line page on Cubs.com to subscribe to the magazine.
Darwin Barney had a breakout season in 2012 on the defensive side of the ball, winning a much-deserved Gold Glove, but his bat still leaves something to be desired. With a front office that highly values the ability to get on base, Barney’s sub-.300 OBP could be a cause for concern. While his glove alone makes him playable on an everyday basis, it will be interesting to see if he can improve enough offensively to help ease any doubts Theo Epstein and company may have about his future role.
Starlin Castro deserves credit for realizing that despite a solid batting average, he can still improve as an all-around hitter. Under the tutelage of new hitting coach James Rowson, who took over when Rudy Jaramillo was relieved of his duties on June 12, Castro was asked midseason to alter his aggressive style at the plate. He struggled at first, which explains why his batting average fell when Rowson took over. However, toward the end of the season, something seemed to click. Not only did his batting average rebound to a respectable .283, but he was also walking and hitting for more power. With a full offseason of training under his belt, expect an improved approach at the plate to lead to big things in 2013.
Anthony Rizzo hit 15 home runs in just 87 games after a midseason call-up. In his second season, he’ll be relied upon, along with Alfonso Soriano, to provide much of the power for the Cubs’ offense. Rizzo will likely slot back into the three hole, where the Cubs envision he’ll be a mainstay for the better part of the next decade. And his defense at first will also keep up the high standards set by his predecessors Derrek Lee and Mark Grace.
The biggest question mark is what will happen at third base. With a lack of options in the minors or via free agency, the Cubs decided to retain veteran Ian Stewart. It appears the team will enter Spring Training with Stewart battling Luis Valbuena for the bulk of the playing time. Though both left-handed hitters struggled with the bat last season, Stewart’s ceiling is much higher, as he provides plus defense and has shown in the past that he has solid power (25 home runs in 2009). If Stewart can prove his issues over the past few seasons were actually the result of a nagging wrist injury—which he finally had surgically repaired in July—it’s possible the Cubs may once again get solid production from the hot corner. Otherwise, look for Stewart, Valbuena or whomever else the Cubs may find, to serve as placeholders until one of the organization’s third-base prospects is ready to step in and assume the role on a long-term basis.
Cubs, 3B Ian Stewart make it official
The Chicago Cubs and infielder Ian Stewart have agreed to terms on a one-year contract. To make room for Stewart on the 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher Jeff Beliveau was designated for assignment.
Stewart, 27, returns to the Cubs after being limited to just 55 games last season after having season-ending surgery on his left wrist July 10. He hit .201 (36-for-179) with five doubles, two triples, five home runs and 17 RBI before being placed on the disabled list June 14 and having surgery nearly a month later. Stewart was originally acquired by the Cubs from the Colorado Rockies as part of a four-player trade on Dec. 8, 2011.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Stewart is a career .232 hitter (329-for-1,421) with 66 doubles, 59 home runs and 204 RBI in 487 major league games with the Rockies (2007-11) and Cubs (2012). He has averaged 22 doubles, 20 home runs and 68 RBI per 162 games during his major league career.
Stewart was originally selected by Colorado in the first round (10th overall) of the 2003 Draft out of high school and reached the big leagues at the age of 22 in 2007. He completed his first full season in the majors in 2009, when he hit 25 homers and recorded 70 RBI in 147 games for Colorado.
Beliveau, 25, made his major league debut last season and went 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA (9 ER/17.2 IP) in 22 relief appearances for the Cubs.
Wrigley Cubscast: Opening Day
CHICAGO—Win or lose, nothing beats Opening Day at Wrigley Field. Though the Cubs were unable to finish off Ryan Dempster’s 10-strikeout Opening Day gem, falling 2-1 to the Nationals, the excitement over the 2012 team was palpable. The Wrigley faithful packed the streets by 8 a.m. to check out the new offerings at the Friendly Confines, including the LED scoreboard in right field, the Budweiser Patio, and the Cubs Store on the corner of Clark and Addison. Vine Line was there along with Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, Hall of Famer Billy Williams and Manager Dale Sveum to kick off the baseball season in style.
Mesa Cubscast: Goals for 2012
MESA, Ariz.–The Cubs transitioned to game action today at HoHoKam Park after a tough few weeks of workouts. As the team continues to stress the fundamentals in preparation for Cactus League action, the players look ahead to their goals for the 2012 regular season.
