I kinda forgot about this guy but Michael Burgess is one of the players the Cubs acquired in the off season. I think he is the guy Gorz was traded for. So far he has 4 bombs, 8 rbi's and is batting .313 with the Daytona Cubs down in high A. He seems like a player to keep an eye on as he is left handed, has power, and is still young at 22. He was in AA last year so this is a step down right now, but I would assume he will be joining Brett Jackson in the Smokies outfield sooner than later.

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Vitters draws a walk!!!
Brett Jackson is 3-3 in AA tonight. Its about time for him to join the Iowa outfield.

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Vitters has drawn his 2nd walk in the same game!!

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It actually is a really good sign. Both him and Jax are absolutely killing the ball right now.

I think the Cubs long term envision Vitters at 1B, Lemehiu (sp?) at 3B. Jax and Castro being 1/2 in the order everyday

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Team Cutler.

He's on base more than 40% of the time with not a lot of power. He's K rate is 22% and it's reasonable to assume that'll decrease as he gets more seasoning. It's been declining each year/level of the minors

Just for some notablesJeter has a career 17%, Chone Figgins 17%, Ellsbury has 14%. Dexter Fowler had a 26% last year

So let's just assume he gets it down to 19% or so at the major league level, if he maintains the .400+obp with <10 HR power, top of the order sounds perfect

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Team Cutler.

This lemehiu cat is no slouch either right now.

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Vitters has walked again!!

The AA Smokies have knocked former smokie Chris Archer from the game after only 4 2/3 innings of work that consisted of 3 runs, 5 hits and 3 walks.

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LeMahieu doesn't project at third because he won't hit for enough power. They really want him to work out at second but he may not be athletic enough. He may end up being a utility guy. He can really hit.

He would be quite tall for 2nd at 6'4, but he really doesn't hit for power at all. 2 career minor league hrs.

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Morel doesn't hit for power either but he has projected out as a 3B. With the way LeMahieu can hit if he can play defense decently he will be fine at 3B.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Sure he does. Morel hit 16 in '09 and 13 (between minors and majors) in '10. He projects as a 20+ guy (and a gold glove calibur defender).

LeMahieu is in the 10-12 range and is an average at best defender. That works for 2B but not 3B.

Morel will never hit 20+ HRs in the majors. He will be a real solid 3B with 12-15 HR per year. LeMahieu will be a much better all around hitter than Morel with similar power numbers. Morel gets the edge on D. LeMahieu gets the edge at the plate.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Ok, Sweetie. If you say so.

Vitters!!!!
Gets the double header party started with a 3 run bomb in the first inning of game 1. Brett Jackson also had a hit and a stolen base in the inning and is batting .500.

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The Smokies can mash. The season is just over a week old, but they are all over .300.

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Sporting News:

Brett Jackson missed the cycle by a single Wednesday for Double-A Tennessee.

We've been assuming Jackson would be promoted to Triple-A before long, but he's making a case to get jumped right to the majors. The 22-year-old is hitting .419/.544/.721 in 13 games for Tennessee. He has 12 walks, versus 10 strikeouts, and he's also stolen six bases in eight attempts.

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I said the same thing back when I drank the second cup of coffee my buddy Bill Stewart ever made from his private blend.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

He followed it up with a 2-4 night and another bomb. He might warrant an immediate call. He is not on the 40 man roster yet so they will have to drop someone unless they have an open spot.

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Unfortunately, Hendry has clogged the roster up with worthless veterans, like Pena. Hendry is a boob.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

This is what I want to see in the very near future:

Fuk traded to the Padres (starting eric patterson in any game sends a huge red flag up saying you have needs in the OF)..give them some cash and take back 2 low level average prospects

Brett Jackson added to 40 man and called up to play center and lead off

Byrd to right

Colvin to Iowa to get every day at bats to fix whatever the hell is wrong

Bryan LaHair called up to play some first because anything is more productive than Pena right now

Diamond called up to start instead of the stupid bullpen day. Stevens can be sent down.

The new lineup would be this

Jackson CF
Barney 2b
Castro ss
Aram 3b
Byrd RF
Soriano LF
Soto
Pena/LaHair
Pitcher

6-8 are interchangeable

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Mr. Reason & UMN are both right on the money. I feel bad Colvin has lost his stroke but he needs to work the kinks out in Iowa. He can still help the Cubs during the pennant stretch.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Yeah it's to bad Colvin has to sit with Fuk on the roster. Eat some cash and trade his ass. Someone will take him for 1-2M for the rest of the season. Then promote Jackson and get both these guys some AB's. If both are real, bye bye Byrd.

Brett Jackson is not in the lineup for the AA Tennessee Smokies tonight

Is he on a plane bound for Chicago at this very moment???

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I'm going to say no. Too early. Also, I don't want him up if he's not going to play everyday.

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Well it is getaway night and the bus ride from Carolina to Jacksonville is a bitch and the worst in the league so sometimes they give guys the game off so they are fresh and ready for the next series.

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Starlin Castro is an exception. An awesome exception. I'm not shitting on Jackson at all. I hope he's outstanding. But up until recently, his K/BB ratio was awful for a future lead-off man. I want to keep the development going.

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The roster needs to be cleaned of the dead weight before any of the kids are to be brought up. That is, unless Quade is willing to sit Byrd, Fukie and Pena. Two of the three the idiot Hendry should never have signed. I give him a pass on Fukie. He wasn't the only boob who was desirous of his services. I thought he would be better than he has been.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

This. I won't get into the contracts, as this is the prospect thread. But I don't want to Phil Rogers the growth of potential stars as bench guys.

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Exactly, if they don't play, then they need to stay down. What pisses me off is how clueless Hendry has been about his own players. Barney seems to be a good little ballplayer. Not a HOFer but a ball player. He was in the system when Hendry acquired Baker, Dewitt and that little fucking switch hitter that couldn't bust a grape, Aaron Miles. He gave Miles a two year deal. I knew what kind of thinker Hendry was when he said a few years ago about trading Aramis. "Who will play third base for us if I trade him?" I knew we were fucked and saddled with a small thinking, short-sighted big check writer for a GM.

I hope someday to get to give Hendry a handshake around his neck.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer