Power Pros Forum

Yes! Finally an all around, all good things happened update.

:disco:

Little does he know...

Week of July 31st, 2011

On Sunday, I kept my hitting streak going right away with an RBI single in the first inning. After a ground out to first in my next at-bat, I drove in my second run of the ballgame in the 5th and put us out in front, 4-3, and I collected my third RBI the easy way with a bases-loaded walk in the 7th.

On Monday morning I awoke to a text from my Ray Guzman, who told me to Google myself. I did just that, and stumbled upon a ranking of the top 50 Cubs prospects. To my amazement, I was 18th on the list. Here's what it said:



I felt pretty good about myself after reading that, and I looked around the list for more guys on the team. Most of the pitching staff was on the list, including SP Danny Nicholson at #6, while outfielders Victor Diaz and Vladimir Alavarez were at 29 and 42.

I guess the confidence brought about by that article helped my game, as I fell just a home run short of the cycle in our 4-1 loss that night.

I lost my hitting streak in Thursday's game despite reaching base twice on walks, and almost went hitless again Friday night before hitting a soft liner up the middle in the 9th. I was benched for Saturday's game. I did pinch hit, but I flew out.

Week's Stats
7-20, .350, 0 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Season Stats
47-162, .290, 2 HR, 7 2B, 4 3B, 20 RBI, 20 R, 11 BB, 25 K, .330 OBP, .420 SLG

Standings
1. Carolina Mudcats - 29-13
2. Chattanooga Lookouts - 25-17
3(t). Tennessee Smokies - 18-24
3(t). Jackson Generals - 18-24
5. Huntsville Stars - 13-28

I want to see that batting average get to .300!

About how long does it take to get called up to AAA in this game?

I usually spend about 1 season in AA, never more than 2.

Week of August 7th, 2011

I fell into a bit of a slump to start the week; I went 1 for 4 on Sunday and 0 for 4 on both Monday and Tuesday. Dancy approached me before Wednesday's game and told me I would get the day off, saying that I should just try to relax and forget about the week's start. I took his advice and enjoyed every minute of our win from the bench. I came back on Thursday ready to play.

My first plate appearance yielded a grounder up the middle. It was a pretty weak hit, but I was willing to take anything I could get considering I was hitless in my last nine plate at-bats. I came up again in the third and lifted a line drive over the shortstop's head for another single. I lined out to third in the 4th, ironically getting out in my hardest hit ball so far.

With the score at 3-3 in the 6th, I knocked in the go-ahead run with a line drive base hit up the middle. After we lost the lead in the top of the 8th, I doubled down the right field line and scored a run to tie the game in the bottom half. Unfortunately, we lost 6-5 after a solo home run in the 9th.

After the game, Ray Guzman invited me out to dinner with him and a couple other guys from the team: Teddy Brooks, a junkballer lefty who was 23 and in his 3rd year of pro ball, and Mike Couch, a center fielder who, like me, was 20 and in his first year on the team. We discussed Ray's injury (a concussion that his suffered colliding with the wall) and he said he had another two weeks on the DL. He and Teddy went on to tell anecdotes about the years past, as they had been teammates since A ball. Mike and I, the rookies, were perfectly willing to listen the two talk. Overall, it was a pretty fun time.

I went hitless on Saturday.

Week's Stats
5-22, .227, 0 HR, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Season Stats
52-184, .283, 2 HR, 8 2B, 4 3B, 21 RBI, 23 R, 12 BB, 28 K, .322 OBP, .402 SLG

Standings
1. Carolina Mudcats - 31-17
2. Chattanooga Lookouts - 27-22
3. Tennessee Smokies - 23-26
4. Jackson Generals - 20-28
5. Huntsville Stars - 15-33

A pretty "meh" week.

Indeed.

Week of August 14th, 2011

After finishing up our series against the Suns with a 5-4 loss, a game in which I got a pinch hit single, we headed out to Jackson, Mississippi to play the Generals. Arriving at our hotel late Sunday night, we had Monday off. I got together with a bunch of guys from the team and we went out to mess around the city. I tried some southern cuisine for dinner and I have to say I was impressed; deep-frying everything is not a bad way to cook.

We opened the series on Tuesday with a loss and got shutout on Wednesday. I was 1-4 and hitless against their starter, a lefty, bringing my average against the southpaws to a measly .214.

We had a team meeting after the game and it was becoming increasingly clear the the playoffs were out of reach. We were nine games out of first and had lost five in a row, while the Generals had done the opposite, winning five straight. We weren't going to give up, with 18 games to play, but we needed to get something going fast if we had any hope of making the postseason.

We lost again Thursday, marking our 6th straight loss by 2 runs or less. We were getting very frustrated, and everyone was pissed off when we showed up to play Friday. We jumped out to an early 1-run lead when I hit a deep sacrifice fly in the first, but the Generals tied it up in the 5th. I came up to the plate in the top of the 8th with runners on first and second with one out, and I hit a line drive to right-center field for an RBI double. We were poised for a win, but R. Wood blew the save and we headed into extras. I walked to push the go ahead run to second with two outs in the 10th, but we were unable to capitalize. In the 12th, I led things off with a single, but I didn't score and we lost in the bottom half. We had 16 hits in the game but only scored twice, and nobody had anything to say as we changed and left the stadium.

I sat out Saturday's game, and we finally broke our losing streak, winning 7 to 1. I had a bit of an odd feeling about that, but I decided it had to be a coincidence, as I had hit safely in five straight games.

Next week, we play the second-place Chattanooga Lookouts at home and start a 5-game set against the Jacksonville Suns on Friday. The team is determined to start a winning streak.

Week's Stats
7-17, .412, 0 HR, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Season Stats
59-201, .294, 2 HR, 9 2B, 4 3B, 24 RBI, 24 R, 14 BB, 33 K, .333 OBP, .408 SLG

Standings
1. Carolina Mudcats - 34-21
2. Chattanooga Lookouts - 29-26
3. Jackson Generals - 26-29
4. Tennessee Smokies - 24-31
5. Huntsville Stars - 16-39

By the way, if anyone has any suggestions as to how this log could be done better, please let me know.

May I ask how you were 1-4 AND hitless?

Heh, 0 for 3 against the starter and 1 for 1 against the reliever that came in.

I understood what you were saying. I don't really have any suggestions, I think this is going swell.

Almost got the batting average up to .300!

Yep, almost.

I've been lacking in power lately, though.

Week of August 21st, 2011

This week was the best of my career to date.

It started off simply enough; I went 1-for-5 on Sunday and struck out in a pinch hit appearance on Monday. I picked up two doubles on Tuesday and mashed my third home run of the season on Wednesday.

The clubhouse morale was steadily decreasing. We were 9 games back and it wasn't looking like we were going to make a run for first place any time soon. Ray was still on the DL, and that was a bummer for both of us, while Andres Samuels, our leading hitter, fractured a bone in his arm and was declared out for the season. Meanwhile, the Cubs were 58-72 and headed for yet another season at the bottom of the NL Central. It was late Wednesday night when I received the call.

"Hello?"

"Colin! You finished packing yet?" It was Tom Cahill, my agent.

"Huh?" I replied, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard! You've been promoted!"

My jaw dropped and my heart fluttered with excitement, but I kept my composure. "Are you sure? I haven't heard anything."

"I'm positive," he assured me. "We need to fly you out to Oklahoma City pronto! You're playing the RedHawks tomorrow! See you at the airport!"

"Wait! I'm confused. What am I supposed to do?"

There was a pause. "Hold on, I'll be there in 20!" He seemed to be more excited than I was.

I started packing up everything I could. Cahill arrived at 11:30. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked again. "I can't get all this stuff and I need to find somewhere to put it while I get everything sorted out!"

He smiled and handed me a plane ticket. "I'll take care of this, you get over to Oklahoma and play some ball."

I sighed and grabbed the suitcase I normally took with me on road trips. On my way out, I paid my landlady, a kind old woman, for the rest of the month and bid my farewells. I arrived in a hotel in Oklahoma City around 5:00 AM and barely got any sleep before it was time to head to the field. I met my teammates and my new manager, Dave Barias. He apologized, "on behalf of the organization", for the ill-prepared call-up, and said I'd get the day off to rest. I found out we were only 3 games out of first and the attitude in this clubhouse was much more upbeat than what I was used to. We won the game and while everyone else was celebrating, I called my parents. My mother was excited beyond control, but all my dad could say was, "Don't suck."

Later that night, a few of my old teammates called to congratulate me. Ray said he was right behind me, even though "it should be the other way around." Dancy called me to congratulate me as well.

The next day, I started out my AAA career the same way I started my AA one: With a line drive single up the middle. I did the same in my next at-bat and ended up 2-for-4 with a walk in my debut. On Saturday, I got a pinch-hit single.

I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I am.

Week's Stats
7-19, .368, 1 HR, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Season Stats(AAA)
3-5, .600, 0 HR, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, .667 OBP, .600 SLG

Season Stats(AA)
63-215, .293, 3 HR, 11 2B, 4 3B, 27 RBI, 27 R, 14 BB, 35 K, .330 OBP, .423 SLG

Standings
1. Nashville Sounds - 76-59
2. Iowa Cubs - 73-62
3. Memphis Redbirds - 68-67
4. Omaha Storm Chasers - 64-71