July 7, 2011

 Des Moines Register, Iowa Cubs drop third straight on road http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110706/SPORTS1402/107070347/Iowa-Cubs-drop- third-straight-on-road

 Knoxville News Sentinel, Smokies home games go online http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jul/06/smokies-home-games-go-online/

 Daytona Beach News Journal, Cubs' Rhee struggles in loss to Yankees http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/baseball/daytona-cubs/2011/07/07/cubs-rhee-struggles- in-loss-to-yankees.html

 Peoria Journal Star, With Cubs pitching coordinator in town, Chiefs hurlers have been good http://www.pjstar.com/sports/chiefs/x1860266431/With-Cubs-pitching-coordinator-in-town-Chiefs- hurlers-have-been-good

 Idaho Statesman, Hawks win in extra innings again http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/07/07/1717879/hawks-win-in-extra-innings-again.html

 Idaho Statesman, Hawks put in their hours before it's time to play ball http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/07/07/1717881/doing-early-work.html

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Des Moines Register Iowa Cubs drop third straight on road By: Staff Report

Oklahoma City, Okla. — all-star Bryan LaHair's pinch-hit, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning proved to be too little, too late as the Iowa Cubs lost 3-2 and were swept during their three-game series at Oklahoma City.

LaHair, who will start at first base in the July 13 Triple-A All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah, replaced Scott Maine before hitting his league-leading 24th homer of the season.

But Oklahoma City's Casey Fien struck out Lou Montanez on three pitches to end the game.

J.B. Shuck had an RBI triple and Collin DeLome singled home a run to put the RedHawks (38-50) up 2-0 in the third inning.

Koby Clemens, the son of former major league star pitcher , drove in a run with his 14th double of the season in the eighth inning to make it 3-0.

The Cubs (41-47), who had won three straight games and 9 of their last 11 coming into the series, begin a four-game series today in New Orleans before the all-star break.

Robert Coello (4-5, 6.46 ERA) take the mound at 7 p.m. today for Iowa.

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Knoxville News Sentinel Smokies home games go online By: Staff Report

The Tennessee Smokies announced they have joined the MiLB.TV network that is provided by Minor League .

Beginning with the Smokies' game against Chattanooga on Friday, the video stream for all home games at Smokies Park will be available online.

The video feed will also include the radio play-by-play provided by Smokies broadcaster Mick Gillispie.

MiLB.TV is a subscription-based service that is provided by . A full subscription is now available at a discounted rate of $19.99, which allows access to all the minor league games for the rest of the 2011 season.

Tennessee is the one of the first Double-A teams, and the first Southern League team, to be featured on the Internet network. Most Triple-A games are offered and select Single-A games are also featured.

Smokies Lose: The Smokies lost to the Montgomery Biscuits 3-1 on Wednesday night in Montgomery, Ala. Rebel Ridling had a home run for the Smokies.

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Daytona Beach News Journal Cubs' Rhee struggles in loss to Yankees By: Sean Kernan

DAYTONA BEACH -- The difference was like night and day for Daytona Cubs starter Dae-Eun Rhee.

Coming off his best start of the season -- a seven-inning, complete-game shutout on Friday night against Tampa -- Rhee had one of his worst outings of the season in a noon game Wednesday against the same Yankees.

Rhee gave up six runs on six hits and four walks in a 7-1 loss before a Camp Day crowd of 2,465 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

"You can't win many games when you pitch like that," Daytona manager Buddy Bailey said. "(Rhee) was all over the place, and the way he started indicated how it was going to be. He kept falling behind."

The loss was a team effort, however, as the Cubs had a season-low two hits. Justin Bour and Rafael Valdes each singled for Daytona, and Bour drove in his league-leading 63rd run of the year.

The Cubs fell to 7-7 in the second half and 54-30 overall. Tampa is 8-6 and 45-38. The four-game series concludes at 7:05 today.

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Peoria Journal Star With Cubs pitching coordinator in town, Chiefs hurlers have been good Solid pitching continues in 3-2 win over Beloit By: Kevin Capie

PEORIA — The Peoria Chiefs’ pitching staff struggled in June. But since pitching coordinator Dennis Lewallyn arrived in town, if Chiefs haven’t been at their best, they’ve at least been very good.

It continued Wednesday night with a 3-2 Midwest League victory over the Beloit Snappers, thanks to a quality start from Eric Jokisch and solid bullpen work by winner Yohan Gonzalez and Brent Ebinger.

Jokisch pitched six shutout innings and gave up three hits, but the Chiefs were able to get him only a fifth-inning run.

“You want to get him the win and we got him the one (run), but we’re playing against a good team and they are going to scratch some runs across,” Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke said. “I just wish we could have gotten him some more.”

That thin margin disappeared when Beloit’s Michael Gonzales homered off Yohan Gonzalez to start the seventh. Beloit added an unearned run on a double with a two-base throwing error.

The Chiefs took a 3-2 lead on RBI singles by Arismendy Alcantara and Matt Szczur.

Ebinger worked a 1-2-3 ninth, the 16th perfect inning thrown by Chiefs pitchers since Lewallyn arrived two innings into Austin Kirk’s no-hitter Monday.

“I had a rough travel day. I was supposed to get here about 4 o’clock and I got re-routed to Bloomington, so I got here in the bottom of the second inning,” Lewallyn said about the no-hitter. “It was fun and helped take the edge off my bad day of travel.”

Lewallyn’s role is to oversee the pitching staffs of each of the Cubs’ affiliates. If there’s a rainout, Lewallyn has the final say on changes to the rotation to accommodate a doubleheader.

He also keeps tabs on the pitchers’ pitch counts, which is something Lewallyn didn’t have to worry about for the most part during his seven-year major league career in the late 1970s-early 1980s.

“I’m a little old school, and to me, the other team used to determine if you were ready to come out of the game or not,” Lewallyn said. “But I understand the guidelines because of the money we have invested.”

Perhaps most important, however, is that he provides a different voice for the pitchers to hear as he visits each of the farm clubs.

“He gives us a different idea on his philosophies and gives you something to think about,” said Ebinger, who recorded his first career save Wednesday. “He was with Double-A (the last four seasons), so he knows what it takes to get to the next level.”

INSIDE PITCHES: Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke said Pierre LePage was a late scratch from the lineup because of back tightness and is day-to-day. ... Arismendy Alcantara went 2-for-3 with the RBI and run scored in the seventh after not being in the starting lineup until LePage could not play.

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Idaho Statesman Hawks win in extra innings again By: Staff Report

The Boise Hawks didn’t waste any time throwing their newest player into action.

Right-handed pitcher Colin Richardson made his debut as the Hawks and Yakima Bears played into extra innings Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium. He wound up the winning pitcher.

Ben Klafczynski blooped a single to left field that scored Pin-Chieh Chen with the winning run in a 3-2 game that lasted 12 innings.

Boise got another quality start from Luis Liria, who yielded only one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked three.

The Hawks put runners on second and third with one out in the ninth inning, but couldn’t plate the winning run.

The victory was the Hawks’ seventh straight at home and their third in a row in extra innings over the Bears.

The win moves Boise (12-8) into sole possession of first-place in the Northwest League’s East Division.

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Idaho Statesman Hawks put in their hours before it's time to play ball By: Staff Report

Long before the Boise Hawks’ win over the Yakima Bears ended at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday night, the Class A short-season affiliate of the Chicago Cubs was hard at work.

Each home game, the Hawks have a routine that is designed to help each player develop their game.

Players typically arrive at Memorial Stadium at 1 or 2 p.m. and do what baseball folks call “early work,” a battery of hitting, fielding, throwing, running and stretching that usually lasts for three or four hours.

“The average fan, I don’t think they realize how early these guys get out here and work on those individual instructions,” said Tom Beyers, a former Hawks manager who now serves as a roving hitting instructor for the Cubs’ farm system.

Beyers and Kenny Socorro and Brad Zapenas were the first three on the field Wednesday, working on techniques that help hitting with a wooden bat.

Each player got several swings at underhanded throws from Beyers, and then he critiqued what he saw.

“One of the things I was looking forward to in pro ball was all these guys — coaches who have played in the big leagues, hitting instructors who have worked at all levels — who know what they’re talking about,” Zapenas said. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get out of college and get here. To get this instruction and start developing my weaknesses.”

The instruction is a big part of the early work, but so is getting young players acclimated to life as a player.

“This turns into their 8 to 5 job, only with later hours,” said Beyers, who is spending four days here working with the Hawks along with field coordinator Dave Bialas.

Hawks manager Mark Johnson said that is a big adjustment, especially for younger players and first-year pros.

“When I signed, I was 18 out of high school and played 20 or 25 games and that was my season,” Johnson said. “I went straight into pro ball and caught 120 games. It was a huge adjustment, a lifestyle adjustment.”

The Hawks play a 76-game season, but many of the current players also logged games at extended spring training.

“It’s a marathon, and the sooner they realize it, the better off they are,” Johnson said. “That’s why routines are so important.”

The days can get long. Some of the Hawks got their day started Wednesday by helping out at a team- sponsored morning camp for kids. Others had weight lifting at 10:30 a.m., then had time for a shower and lunch before heading to the ballpark.

“You get used to it,” Rafael Lopez said.

“It’s a grind,” Zapenas said. “Baseball is all about repetition. The more you do things, it builds confidence.”

There are different sets of drills each day. In addition to batting practice, sometimes the team works on pickoff plays. get practice blocking balls thrown in the dirt. track high, towering balls that are shot out of a machine.

“At this level, there’s a lot more teaching,” Johnson said. “The whole work ethic and routine is so important at this level. You have to get the work in.”

The drills generally last until about 5:30 p.m., giving the players a little down time before the 7:15 p.m. first pitch.

You can find card games in the clubhouse and players listening to music or hanging outside the clubhouse talking on the phone.

“It’s our time to relax,” Zapenas said.

Sometimes the players get days off, if Johnson feels they may be run down or need a break.

“We didn’t take BP (batting practice) before one of our games and I didn’t feel comfortable my first at bat,” Lopez said. “It gets you comfortable.”

So what’s more important — the early work that develops the players or the games they play after the work is done?

“They work hand in hand,” Beyers said. “You need the early work and you need to play the games. The games are the most important part because it gives these guys a chance to show what they can do.”

And they get to come back and do it all again the next day.

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