Minor News

[VU75]

Bryce Shafer is a Peoria Chief and Kyle Gaedele a Fort Wayne Tin Cap

[valpo84]

Saw Kyle's name in a few Spring box scores.

[bbtds]

Bryce Shafer is a Peoria Chief and Kyle Gaedele a Fort Wayne Tin Cap

Bryce Shafer:http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=t443&t=p_pbp&pid=592733

Kyle Gaedele:http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=OF&sid=t584&t=p_pbp&pid=543191

[valpotx]

I assume that Gulbranson is unsigned or 'retired?'

[bbtds]

I assume that Gulbranson is unsigned or 'retired?'

Jon Gulbransen shows on the roster of the short season/rookie Pioneer League Great Falls Voyagers, which is an affiliate of the White Sox. Jon signed with the White Sox in June, 2011. The Pioneer League champs, Voyagers, won the eight team league in 2011. The Great Falls, MT team doesn't begin their season until June 18th. I assume that means Jon is in extended spring training at the White Sox spring training complex in Glendale, AZ near Phoenix.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=608028

[agibson]

Good fun that Kyle's reasonably close to VU, and reasonably close to home.

Not VU, but I was surprised to hear recently about a family in my neighborhood (in Valparaiso) whose son is a starting pitcher for the Cubs.  And.... did I see him pinch running the other day?

[valporun]

agibson, Jeff had a great pitching effort, then he came in the other day to pinch run. Hope this confidence that Sveum is giving Jeff will help build his confidence to have a long career that develops the way it should have a few years ago.

[agibson]

OK - glad I wasn't seeing things.  Is he known for footspeed, or base running savvy?  I mean, a pinch running pitcher may not be _quite_ as rare as a pinch _hitting_ pitcher (which may have happened back in the day, but...).

Seemed pretty unusual to me.  Does it happen often?

[valporun]

It might have something to do with his football foot speed? As a college wide receiver, at a top D-I school, you can't be ridiculously slow, or you don't play ever. He had another good pitching performance yesterday against the Cardinals too.

[vuweathernerd]

It might have something to do with his football foot speed? As a college wide receiver, at a top D-I school, you can't be ridiculously slow, or you don't play ever. He had another good pitching performance yesterday against the Cardinals too.

decent for 4 innings, but i don't know that i'd say good. he almost got burned for a couple runs in the second, and then his wheels came off in the fifth and the cards dropped a 5 spot on him.

[valporun]

Some of what he's needing to be a true starter will come back to him. He just needs to have some pitching endurance in him, in terms of throwing quality innings, and acquiring solid, consistent innings in each outing.

[sectionee]

Jeff did alright against the Cards the other day.  He didn't have his best stuff but he survived.  Thats good pitching/mental toughness when you don't have your best stuff but you can still keep your team in the game.

[StlVUFan]

Jeff did alright against the Cards the other day.  He didn't have his best stuff but he survived.  Thats good pitching/mental toughness when you don't have your best stuff but you can still keep your team in the game.

I wish I had the picture to validate (though he wasn't in uniform), but as I passed Busch Stadium this morning around mile 6 of the Go!St.Louis half marathon, he crossed my path headed to work   In street clothes, but I'd know that face and hairdo anywhere.

[valpotx]

There is a guy from my HS that grew up in my neighborhood on the Cubs who is a reliever (Jamie Russell as a kid, but now James I believe).  What do Cubs fans think of him?  When he was in Kindergarten, I was his 5th grade 'mentor' lol.

[covufan]

OK - glad I wasn't seeing things.  Is he known for footspeed, or base running savvy?  I mean, a pinch running pitcher may not be _quite_ as rare as a pinch _hitting_ pitcher (which may have happened back in the day, but...).

Seemed pretty unusual to me.  Does it happen often?

I think both happen with some frequency.  With more than 2400 MLB games a year, it happens more often than you might think - not counting the extra inning marathons.  The Rockies often pinch run for Jason Giambi in late innings with a pitcher.  I've seen other teams do the same thing.  Tommy Lasorda often used Valenzueala in pinch running or pinch hitting situations.  I also think that managers will use a pitcher in a pinch hitting situation when they need a sacrifice bunt, especially in the late innings.

[StlVUFan]

OK - glad I wasn't seeing things.  Is he known for footspeed, or base running savvy?  I mean, a pinch running pitcher may not be _quite_ as rare as a pinch _hitting_ pitcher (which may have happened back in the day, but...).

Seemed pretty unusual to me.  Does it happen often?

I think both happen with some frequency.  With more than 2400 MLB games a year, it happens more often than you might think - not counting the extra inning marathons.  The Rockies often pinch run for Jason Giambi in late innings with a pitcher.  I've seen other teams do the same thing.  Tommy Lasorda often used Valenzueala in pinch running or pinch hitting situations.  I also think that managers will use a pitcher in a pinch hitting situation when they need a sacrifice bunt, especially in the late innings.

La Russa has been known to do a lot of this.  Then again, he's been known to use them as pinch hitters

[vuweathernerd]

OK - glad I wasn't seeing things.  Is he known for footspeed, or base running savvy?  I mean, a pinch running pitcher may not be _quite_ as rare as a pinch _hitting_ pitcher (which may have happened back in the day, but...).

Seemed pretty unusual to me.  Does it happen often?

I think both happen with some frequency.  With more than 2400 MLB games a year, it happens more often than you might think - not counting the extra inning marathons.  The Rockies often pinch run for Jason Giambi in late innings with a pitcher.  I've seen other teams do the same thing.  Tommy Lasorda often used Valenzueala in pinch running or pinch hitting situations.  I also think that managers will use a pitcher in a pinch hitting situation when they need a sacrifice bunt, especially in the late innings.

La Russa has been known to do a lot of this.  Then again, he's been known to use them as pinch hitters

and utility guys as pitchers. much to the dismay of many on the cardinals forum i'm on.

[StlVUFan]

OK - glad I wasn't seeing things.  Is he known for footspeed, or base running savvy?  I mean, a pinch running pitcher may not be _quite_ as rare as a pinch _hitting_ pitcher (which may have happened back in the day, but...).

Seemed pretty unusual to me.  Does it happen often?

I think both happen with some frequency.  With more than 2400 MLB games a year, it happens more often than you might think - not counting the extra inning marathons.  The Rockies often pinch run for Jason Giambi in late innings with a pitcher.  I've seen other teams do the same thing.  Tommy Lasorda often used Valenzueala in pinch running or pinch hitting situations.  I also think that managers will use a pitcher in a pinch hitting situation when they need a sacrifice bunt, especially in the late innings.

La Russa has been known to do a lot of this.  Then again, he's been known to use them as pinch hitters

and utility guys as pitchers. much to the dismay of many on the cardinals forum i'm on.

Every manager has done that, nerd

[vuweathernerd]

OK - glad I wasn't seeing things.  Is he known for footspeed, or base running savvy?  I mean, a pinch running pitcher may not be _quite_ as rare as a pinch _hitting_ pitcher (which may have happened back in the day, but...).

Seemed pretty unusual to me.  Does it happen often?

I think both happen with some frequency.  With more than 2400 MLB games a year, it happens more often than you might think - not counting the extra inning marathons.  The Rockies often pinch run for Jason Giambi in late innings with a pitcher.  I've seen other teams do the same thing.  Tommy Lasorda often used Valenzueala in pinch running or pinch hitting situations.  I also think that managers will use a pitcher in a pinch hitting situation when they need a sacrifice bunt, especially in the late innings.

La Russa has been known to do a lot of this.  Then again, he's been known to use them as pinch hitters

and utility guys as pitchers. much to the dismay of many on the cardinals forum i'm on.

Every manager has done that, nerd

even when there are still pitchers available in the pen? if it's the 15th inning, that's one thing. but aaron miles would show up in the 7th or 8th inning.

[StlVUFan]

OK - glad I wasn't seeing things.  Is he known for footspeed, or base running savvy?  I mean, a pinch running pitcher may not be _quite_ as rare as a pinch _hitting_ pitcher (which may have happened back in the day, but...).

Seemed pretty unusual to me.  Does it happen often?

I think both happen with some frequency.  With more than 2400 MLB games a year, it happens more often than you might think - not counting the extra inning marathons.  The Rockies often pinch run for Jason Giambi in late innings with a pitcher.  I've seen other teams do the same thing.  Tommy Lasorda often used Valenzueala in pinch running or pinch hitting situations.  I also think that managers will use a pitcher in a pinch hitting situation when they need a sacrifice bunt, especially in the late innings.

La Russa has been known to do a lot of this.  Then again, he's been known to use them as pinch hitters

and utility guys as pitchers. much to the dismay of many on the cardinals forum i'm on.

Every manager has done that, nerd

even when there are still pitchers available in the pen? if it's the 15th inning, that's one thing. but aaron miles would show up in the 7th or 8th inning.

In a blow-out game, maybe.  Otherwise, I'm going to have to go to baseball-reference.com because I'm having trouble remembering any such thing.

[valporun]

I've seen this happen often in blowouts, or like was said above, if you get to the 15th inning, and don't have anyone in the bullpen due to days off from overuse or used the pen to depletion for the day. Doug Dascenzo was another position player who pitched a few times in his career.

[StlVUFan]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WAS/WAS200708040.shtml (pitched 8th inning in a 12-1 loss after 2 games in which a total of 9 standard relief pitchers were used)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200709200.shtml (pitched 8th inning in an 18-1 loss as the 4th reliever 2 days after a 14-inning loss to the Phillies in which starter Todd Wellemeyer (yuck!) lasted all of 2 innings)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200806130.shtml (5th reliever, pitched 9th inning in a 20-2 loss to the Phillies in which Todd Wellemeyer (again!) couldn't get out of the 4th, one day after Joel Piniero only lasted 5 innings
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN201008030.shtml (4th reliever, pitched 9th inning in an 18-4 loss to the Astros; Garcia only lasted 5 -- when didn't he only last 5?)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN201009280.shtml (4th reliever, pitched 9th inning in a 7-2 loss to the Pirates; one of Jeff Suppan's attempts at a revival in which he only lasted 5.1 innings; after 2 games of 3 or 4 relievers a piece)

Clearly, he only used Miles under extreme duress, not as a strategy (like batting the pitcher 8th or bunting in the first inning with a runner on 2nd, my personal favorite).