Minor League Report – 05/06/06
With News and Transactions from the Minors
Both the Iowa Cubs and West Tenn Diamond Jaxx won on Friday night. The I-Cubs shutout the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) 6-0 and the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx beat the Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee Brewers) 4-3 in 10 innings. Micah Hoffpauir hit his 8th home run of the season for the Diamond Jaxx.
The Cubs farm system will get a visit from Kerry Wood on Sunday. Wood is scheduled to make his first rehab appearance of the season for the Peoria Chiefs. According to several reports out of Chicago on Friday, the Cubs have said that Mark Prior could be pitching in a rehab assignment soon and Prior said he expects to be pitching for the Cubs by the end of May.
The Cubs also made a couple of roster moves in the Minor League system on Friday. Iowa Cubs – Ryan O’Malley recorded his first win of the season and combined with Brandon Emanuel, Kerry Ligtenberg and Michael Wuertz to hold the Redbirds to 3 hits and no runs on Friday in Memphis. Felix Pie went 2 for 5 on the evening with a RBI. Buck Coats played 3rd base and collected 3 hits and 2 RBI’s.
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx – It took 10 innings and some help from the Stars for the Diamond Jaxx to beat the Huntsville Stars on Friday, 4-3. Luis Montanez got the game winning RBI in the bottom of the 10th. After a double by Chris Walker, Eric Patterson reached on an error by Adam Heether while attempting a sacrifice bunt. Montanez then singled to left to score Walker. Clay Rapada picked up the win and is now 3-2 on the season. Juan Mateo started the game and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Carlos Jan and Thomas Atlee held the Stars scoreless in 3 2/3 innings of work. Luis Montanez went 3 for 5 and Micah Hoffpauir went 2 for 3 with a triple, a home run and 2 RBI’s.
News and Transactions
The Cubs moved pitcher Bobby Brownlie from the Iowa Cubs (AAA) to the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA) on Friday. Brownlie was having a rough start to the season with a 0-3 record and a 10.80 ERA. Bobby Brownlie was a first round draft pick by the Cubs in 2002.
The Cubs moved pitcher Federico Baez from West Tenn to Iowa to replace Bobby Brownlie on the I-Cubs roster. Baez was 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA for West Tenn and pitched for Puerto Rico in the WBC.
On April 22 the Cubs signed former Atlanta Brave Kerry Ligtenberg to a Minor League contract. In 4 games with the Iowa Cubs, Ligtenberg has a 0-0 record with a 1.93 ERA.
The future is looking bright….