Top prospects, Manny give I
DES MOINES - Des Moines has turned into Little Chicago.
The attention the Iowa Cubs Triple-A baseball team has gotten this season from the Windy City - and elsewhere - has been enormous. And it has just ratcheted up even more in the past month.
'A million times more,' said I-Cubs Director of Communications Scott Sailor. 'That's obviously an exaggeration. But from phone calls to social media ... our Twitter followers have increased over 500 to 1,000 a week. We've got something like 26,000 now. Everybody, at least that way, has been excited and probably (gone) overboard in some ways.'
The Cubs are, of course, the top farm club of the Chicago Cubs. Outfielder Javier Baez is considered one of the better prospects in the game and began the season in Des Moines.
Third baseman Kris Bryant's gigantic power numbers have moved him into the position of consensus top prospect in the minor leagues, and he joined the I-Cubs in June after tearing up Double-A. Outfielder Jorge Soler, another huge prospect, came to town this week.
Then there was the whole Manny Ramirez thing. The major league Cubs signed the former all-star outfielder to a minor-league contract earlier in the month and sent him to Iowa to be a player-coach, more or less.
You can't buy that amount of visibility.
'MLB Network sent a crew here from New York this week to do something on Bryant,' Sailor said. 'Filmed him, did a half-hour interview. The Los Angeles Times was here to do a story on Manny, who's not a prospect, but who is part of the show. When he was announced to be coming here, everything went crazy.
'Then, of course, all the prospects here, we've never had that many at one time. The interest in Chicago is kind of focused our way, too, because those guys are part of their rebuilding plan ... It's just been crazy, in a good way.'
The Iowa Cubs went into their double-header Saturday against Memphis with a 57-49 record, good for first place in the Pacific Coast League's American Northern division. They are averaging 6,550 fans per game, fifth in the 16-team PCL.
Iowans in the pros
A look at season statistics for players with local and area ties in affiliated professional baseball.
l Chad Christensen (Class-A Cedar Rapids/Twins): Former Cedar Rapids Washington prep went into Saturday hitting .291 in 93 games, with 18 doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 56 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. Has played outfield and infield for Kernels.
l Matt Dermody (Class-A Lansing/Blue Jays): Has a 4-4 record and 4.70 earned run average in 18 appearances. The right-hander pitched collegiately for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
l Andrew Hanse (Class-A Bowling Green/Rays): Former Linn-Mar High School and Hawkeye pitcher is 0-3 with a 6.07 ERA in 23 relief appearances.
l Jon Keller (Class-A Frederick/Orioles): Right-handed pitcher was recently promoted from low-Class A Delmarva, where he was 3-0 with five saves, a 1.59 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. At Frederick, Cedar Rapids Xavier graduate is 0-0 with a 8.31 ERA in two relief appearances.
l Mitch Keller (Rookie Gulf Coast League Pirates/Pirates): In his first four pro appearances, the former Xavier prep and 2014 second-round draft pick has no record and a 3.00 ERA. He has nine strikeouts in nine innings.
l Sasha Kuebel (Rookie Johnson City/Cardinals): Relief pitcher from University of Iowa was recently promoted from Gulf Coast League Cardinals, where he was 1-0 with 1.64 ERA. At Johnson City, he is 1-1 with a 7.94 ERA in three games.
l Derrick Loveless (Class-A Lansing/Blue Jays): Outfielder from Solon is hitting .267 in 86 games. That includes 14 doubles, seven triples, five homers and 39 RBIs.
l Colin Rea (Class-A Lake Elsinore/Padres): Former Cascade prep has done nice job in starting rotation for Storm, posting 9-5 record and 3.51 ERA in hitter-happy California League. Has made 21 starts.
l Scott Schebler (Class-Double A Chattanooga/Dodgers): Outfielder from Cedar Rapids Prairie continues to rack up extra-base hits. Has 19 doubles, 12 triples, 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in 100 games, hitting .266.
l Ryan Sweeney (Chicago Cubs): Cedar Rapids Xavier grad has played in 52 games for Cubs, hitting .221 with two homers and 15 RBIs.
l Justin Toole (Class-Double A Akron): Former Hawkeye infielder has .299 average in 48 games. Has driven in 15 runs.
l Jake Yacinich (Arizona Rookie League Angels/Angels): On the club's Reserve List. Former Iowa shortstop hit .176 in six games for Rookie-level Orem before being sent to complex league.
l Taylor Zeutenhorst (Rookie Pulaski/Mariners): Another former Hawkeye, outfielder has .162 average in 22 games. Has eight RBIs.
l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@sourcemedia.net
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