Tagged: Micah Gibbs

The French Revolution: LePage shines in Hawks debut

LePage.jpg

Once again, the French have come to our aid, and the
arrival couldn’t have come at a better time. At arrival of Pierre LePage – one of
four new players to arrive in Boise selected in the 2010 First-Year Player’s
Draft – the Boise Hawks (8-6) were the worst hitting team in the Northwest
League with a .216 batting average and a league low, 93 RBI heading into a new
three game home stand against the Yakima Bears (6-8). That’s all about to
change.

In only his fifth professional game since being
drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 13th round of the draft, Pierre LePage went
2-4 with two hits and four RBI for the Hawks in their 7-0 win over the Bears
Thursday.

With the score tied 0-0 in the bottom of the second
inning and the bases loaded, LePage hit a base-clearing triple to left field,
scoring George Matheus, Arismendy Alcantara and Alvaro Ramirez.

The added run support proved crucial to left-handed
pitcher, Austin Kirk’s success in his third start of the season. Kirk went five
complete innings, giving up only three hits, while fanning five Yakima hitters –
arguably one of the best starts by a Hawks starter thus far.

LePage boasts a high baseball IQ, as well as plus
speed and contact hitting ability. With this new charge to the lineup, the
Hawks could see continued success on the back of the University of Connecticut
product.

NOTES:

Right-handed relief man, Carlos Rojas, had another
successful outing for the Hawks, showing off his impeccable curveball,
finishing with two hits allowed and one strikeout in three innings pitched.
Rojas has a 1.54 ERA on the season.

Four Boise sluggers had two hit ball games in the
win; Alvaro Ramirez, Jesus Morelli, Runey Davis and LePage. Davis had a double
in the third and an opposite-field home run in the fifth inning.

LePage wasn’t the only player to make his Boise
debut; Micah Gibbs, the most anticipated prospect of the draftees who arrived
Thursday, went 0-4 with two strikeouts as a designated hitter for the club. However,
Gibbs is regarded as one of the best catchers chosen in the draft and will
flaunt his strengths defensively behind the plate in the ensuing games against
Yakima. 

Three Is Company Too: The catcher position gets crowded with new addition

micah gibbs.jpg

According to a Thursday press release by the Hawks
front office, the Chicago Cubs have sent 2010 third round draft choice Micah
Gibbs to Class-A Boise from their Mesa based rookie-team. He is now the third
catcher on the Hawks roster, along with 22nd rounder, Jeff Vigurs, and two-year
Hawk, Jose Guevara.

Though the catcher position may seem more crowded
than a Twilight Saga Premier, Gibbs’ arrival couldn’t be more needed – Vigurs and
Guevara are both struggling offensively with .188 and .097 batting averages
respectively.  

Before being drafted, Gibbs hit .388 with 10 home
runs and 60 RBI for the Louisiana State University Tigers, earning him 2010
All-Southeastern Conference status.

In his 2009 collegiate season, Gibbs received ABCA
(American Baseball Coaches Assosiation) Gold Glove honors and was placed on the
SEC’s All-Defensive Team individually, while catching for the 2009 College
World Series Champion Tigers as a sophomore.

The previous season, Gibbs was named a First-Team Freshman
All-American by Baseball America – an organization devoted to following
promising prospects in the collegiate and minor league ranks.

As with all minor league coaches, Jody Davis will
attempt to award ample playing time to each of these emerging catchers, but in
the end, the best will see the most playing time.

In the five games that he’s played in, Vigurs is
3-16 with an 0-11 slump currently underway; while Guevara is 0-14 in his last
four games. Defensively, the pair has a combined five errors – despite that
Vigurs has the second least playing time on the team.

New players can add a new excitement to a young team
that has been struggling of late. The Hawks received four new players from the
draft: left-handed pitcher, Eric Jokisch, right-handed pitcher, Aaron Kurcz, in
fielder, Pierre LePage and Gibbs.

In his sophomore season with Northwestern
University, Jokisch was 12-9 with a 5.48 ERA. Teammate of first-overall pick
Bryce Harper, Arron Kurcz was selected with the 310th pick by the Cubs after
going 3-3 in 35 innings of relief with the College of Southern Nevada. Lepage
was selected in the 13th round by the Cubs after hitting .327 with three home
runs and 57 RBI in his junior season with Connecticut.

Gibbs is most likely to make the quickest impact for
Boise, because of the current state of the catcher position, until the still
unknown arrival of first-round pick Hayden Simpson. His strong defensive skills
behind the plate and above average power should add more stability in the
middle of the batting order. 

MLB Draft: Analysis of the Chicago Cubs First 15 Draft Choices

ReggieGoldenStillBig.jpgDay one of the MLB First-Year Players Draft began with the most predictable draft pick in baseball history, when the Washington Nationals selected 17-year-old phenom Bryce Harper. 

The Chicago Cubs, however, made one of the more shocking picks of the first round, when they selected the unknown Southern Arkansas right-hander, Hayden Simpson, with the 16th pick. Despite the lack of name recognition, many analysts have jumped on the Cubs scouting director, Tim Wilken, who also selected rising star, Tyler Colvin, in 2006, and have deemed Simpson as one of the safest picks in the draft thus far.
Surprisingly, the Draft did continue past the first round, and the following is a summary of the first two days of draft choices by the Chicago Cubs.
Round 1, Pick 16: Hayden Simpson, RHP (Southern Arkansas University)
Simpson was a surprising pick at 16 to say the least, but has been known to throw a 97-mph fastball, to match two devastating off-speed pitches. Simpson finished second in D-ll Player of the Year voting in 2010, though his jaw-dropping statistics in his junior season–13-1 record with a 1.81 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 15 starts–speak much louder than any award could.
Ranked 191 by Baseball America as a pitcher, Simpson was the first choice by Wilken, and once again, he knows something we still don’t: How to scout.
Round 2, Pick 65: Reggie Golden, CF (Wetumpka High School)
Despite believing that he would be picked within the first 35 picks of the draft, Wetumpka High School product, Reggie Golden (above right) fell to the Cubs who selected him with the 65th pick in the second round of the First-Year Players Draft. If he chooses to deny Chicago’s offer, Golden has signed with the University of Alabama.
Golden is classified as a “self-taught” hitter, with somewhat of a wild swing and inconsistency. Despite the questions surrounding his swing, Golden is a raw five-tool player, with bursts of power and exceptional play to overshadow his faults.
At 5’10”, 210 pounds, Golden is a tank with average range and arm strength, but with the help of the Cubs’ strong farm system, can develop into one of the game’s future greats. With more time on the field, Golden will be on the fast-track to Major League success. Staying at the Alabama may be a better choice for him at the moment, unfortunately.
Round 3, Pick 97: Micah Gibbs, C (Louisiana State University)
In a fairly shallow draft class for catchers, Micah Gibbs is renowned as being one of the most well rounded journeymen in the draft. Gibbs has shown raw power and strong defensive skills while behind the plate for the Louisiana State University Tigers, along with strong range and average arm strength. The 20-year-old hits for good average, posting .294 and .322 in his first two seasons with LSU.
Round 4, Pick 130: Hunter Ackerman, LHP (Louisburg College)
The second pitcher selected by the Cubs in the 2010 Draft, Ackerman went 8-1 with a 1.40 ERA in his freshman season for the Hurricanes. After joining the West Virginia Miners baseball club–a college summer league–however, Ackerman is 1-1 with a 8.21 ERA in 7 2/3 innings.
Round 5, Pick 160: Matthew Szczur, C/OF (Villanova)

For the second straight pick, the Chicago Cubs picked a player with the same first name as the previous player selected, when they chose Matthew Szczur, junior, out of Villanova with the 160th pick of the Draft.  While there, the 19-year-old catcher/outfielder hit .346 with 24 RBI’s as a freshman — yet another hit-for-average player selected by the Cubs.
Round 8, Pick 250: Cameron Greathouse, LHP (Gulf Coast CC)

With yet another somewhat surprising pick, the Cubs selected Cameron Greathouse out of Gulf Coast Community College in Florida. Greathouse had a 3.06 ERA and was 10-2 for the Commodores. The Cubs usually don’t take risks with pitchers with such high ERA’s like Greathouse, but with development, he has strong break on his fast ball and off-speed pitches.
Round 9, Pick 280: Kevin Rhoderick, RHP (Oregon State)

The Chicago Cubs selected Kevin Rhoderick as the third pitcher in their draft class with the 280th pick in the ninth round. While at OSU, Rhoderick won three games as a reliever, with a 8.0 hits per nine innings ratio. Rhoderick has an above average fastball that tops out at about 91 mph, and a sweeping curvball that hits along the high 70s. He also carries a change-up, that floats at about 80 mph. Rhoderick has strong potential as a reliever for the Cubs, and proved himself at a Pac-10 powerhouse as a junior. He was previously selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 18th round of the 2007 Draft, but did not sign.
Round 10, Pick 310: Aaron Kurcz, RHP (College of Southern Nevada)

Not to be shown-up by his world famous teammate — first round draft choice, Bryce Harper — Aaron Kurcz was selected with the 310th pick by the Chicago Cubs, just 10 rounds later than the Phenom.  As a sophomore, Kurcz went 3-3 in 35 inni
ngs pitched while in relief.
Round 11, Pick 340: Eric Jokisch, LHP (Northwestern)

I feel dumber already. The Chicago Cubs selected left-hander, Eric Jokisch out of the prestigious Northwestern University as a junior. In two season, Jokisch was 12-9 with a 5.48 ERA in 2009. Jokisch was previously drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 39th round of the 2007 draft, but rejected the offer.

Round 12, Pick 370: Austin Reed, RHP (Rancho Cucamonga HS)

Austin Reed was selected out of Rancho Cucamonga High School, in California, with the 370th pick in the First-Year Players Draft. Reed throws his fastball around 88-mph and floats his breaking ball at a speed of 73-75 consistently.
Round 13, Pick 400: Pierre LePage, 2B (Connecticut)

Only the second infielder selected by the Chicago Cubs thus far, Pierre LePage –second baseman from the University of Connecticut — became the 400th pick of the 2010 Draft. LePage hit .327 while slugging in three home runs and 57 RBI’s in his 2010 junior season.
Round 14, Pick 430: Colin Richardson, RHP (Winter Haven HS)

With the 430th pick, the Cubs selected Colin RIchardson, a strong pitcher out of Winter Haven High School in Florida. Richardson had a .550 ERA in 2010 in 76 innings pitched. He also showed some strength at the plate, hitting .254 with four doubles in the same season.
Round 15, Pick 460: Elliot Soto, SS (Creighton)

Now the Chicago Cubs have another Soto in their organization, after they selected Elliot Soto with the 460th pick of the Draft out of Creighton. The junior hit three home runs and drove in 28 RBI’s for the Jays, while averaging .297.