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The Chicago Cubs signed right-handed pitcher Duane Underwood, their second round selection (67th pick overall) in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Underwood, from Pope High School in Georgia, will report to Mesa.
Overall in 2012, the Cubs signed each of their first 20 picks and 29 players overall selected in the draft.
What is it some people say about all publicity being good?
The Joliet (IL) Slammers hit the publicity jackpot, in a very unusual—and scary—manner this week, and more than half a million people have seen the visual evidence.
Since no one was injured when a major thunderstorm hit Silver Cross Field in the suburban Chicago community, I believe there was a message in the fact it was the Slammers, not other teams, who got dumped on. (watch it after jump)
There were a ton of MLB teams in the derby for Cuba defectee Jorge Soler, and the Chicago Cubs won the spending battle to get him. Now that Anthony Rizzo is up at the Major League level, Soler gets to become the next big name to be “franchise savior.” Soler, 20, joins the Cubs organization after playing for Cuba at several international tournaments, including the 16-under COPABE Pan American Championships in Mexico in 2008 and the World Junior Championships in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in 2010.
The 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry draft was held at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA on June 22nd. It was a boisterous and passionate crowd in the arena and the events of the 1st round, particularly as it related to trades to include the host Pittsburgh Penguins, didn’t leave anyone disappointed.
The draft kicked off with the intrigue as to whether the Edmonton Oilers, who were selecting 1st overall for the third consecutive year, were going to address their critical need at defense and draft Ryan Murray, considered the most NHL-ready defenseman in the draft, or draft the most electrifying player in the draft in forward Nail Yakupov.
The Chicago Cubs will probably lose 105+ games this season (the club record is 103), so in this most dreadful of seasons tonight was pretty much their Super Bowl. It’s the first “green shoot” of the Theo Epstein- Jed Hoyer regime, a huge night for Cubs fans and the long term view. And a reason for extra media to show up.
With over a century on ineptitude, Cub fans are always obsessed with the next savior, the next big thing to come along and turn it all around.
Anthony Rizzo has that title now, but in the past the very heavy crown has been worn by: Shawon Dunston, Derrick May, Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Ty Griffin, Mike Harkey, Hee Sop Choi, Lance Dickson, Gary Scott and many more “can’t miss” prospects who ultimately missed.
Rizzo is an MLB super-prospect and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, before battling the hype and expectations of the third largest media market and the most success starved of all sports fan bases, he’s battled and conquered cancer.
Rizzo did not make his major league debut tonight, but his Cubs debut was just as hyped and anticipated.
Update: the Des Moines Register is reporting that Cubs uber-prospect Anthony Rizzo was taken out of last night’s Iowa Cubs game in the 4th inning, and is being called up to the parent club. So far, there hasn’t been word from the big league team as of yet. So this is call-up for real, and not an error/publicity stunt like last time?
What we wrote on Memorial Day weekend:
The Chicago Cubs AAA affiliate, the Iowa Cubs, made a huge PR department blunder tonight; their media relations employees appear either a.) incompetent or b.) manipulative. When the organization itself (the insider of all insiders) gets the news wrong, as they did regarding top prospect Anthony Rizzo, it’s either gross negligence or a desperate play for publicity.
You tell me Iowa Cubs, which is it?
Rizzo, an MLB super-prospect and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, was removed from tonight’s game in the sixth inning fueling rumors that he was called up to the major league club. Twitter went absolutely nuclear. This series of tweets by the Iowa Cubs official account was the core reactor.
It is not every day when a baseball owner is the starting pitcher. But it happened for the Wichita (KS) Wingnuts this week, and probably is going to be the case every five days or so in the American Association.
While the Los Angeles Kings, and their millions of fans who just jumped on the bandwagon, celebrate the team’s first Stanley Cup championship, the other 29 teams in the league are gearing up for next season. The top priority of these teams: the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The draft takes place June 22 and 23 from Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA. With the Edmonton Oilers winning the draft lottery, they will select the first pick for the third straight year, the first time since the Quebec Nordiques of 1989-91. Who will the Oilers take? Who will everyone else select? To find out, continue after the jump.
The Kane County Cougars, class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, located in Geneva, IL put on quite a show with the Midwest League All-Star Game Tuesday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. The mid-season classic featured some of the best talent in Minor League Baseball with 68 Midwest League players who were selected as All-Stars last week. It was won overwhelmingly by the East division All-Stars who scored 13 runs in the first two innings and never looked back. The final was an eye-popping 18-2.
The game had a lot to compete with that night, as both game four of the NBA Finals and the crosstown series game five between the Cubs and White Sox were held concurrently. Also, the 98 degree temperature probably discouraged some fans from coming out to the ballgame.
Still, thousands of fans attended the MWL All-Star Game which had numerous events and promotions throughout the day, beginning with a Fan Fest that kicked off at 11:30 that morning.
While the Los Angeles Kings, and their millions of fans who just jumped on the bandwagon, celebrate the team’s first Stanley Cup championship, the other 29 teams in the league are gearing up for next season. The top priority of these teams: the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The draft takes place June 22 and 23 from Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA. With the Edmonton Oilers winning the draft lottery, they will select the first pick for the third straight year, the first time since the Quebec Nordiques of 1989-91. Who will the Oilers take? Who will everyone else select? To find out, continue after the jump.
For the third time in their history, the Houston Astros had the #1 pick in MLB entry draft. In 1976 they took future White Sox starting hurler Floyd Bannister, and in 1992 they took valuable baseball card but far from franchise player Phil Nevin. Tonight they took Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa with the #1 overall pick in the march towards getting the state of Texas its first World Series winner.
The Astros were the first of the two teams to reach it, but the Texas Rangers have come much closer, losing the last two years. With 56 wins last year, the Astros have nowhere to go but up. And Correa will perhaps be their shortstop in their future AL West days.
All Major League first round draft picks get plenty of publicity. As such, their performances are highly scrutinized. If they’ve accrued MLB time in spring training (sure, it’s exhibition but still) and played at the highest level of major national college football, the lights are even brighter.
Chicago White Sox top prospect Jared Mitchell, the 23rd overall selection in the 2009 MLB draft, has not only played SEC football and baseball, but also won championships.
He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2006, but turned it down to go back to school, where he won a College World Series with the LSU Tigers. Mitchell also excelled in college football, combining for 24 receptions and 274 yards as a wide receiver for the Tigers football team from 2006-08, including their National Championship season in 2007.
All of the lights have prepared him for dealing with the high expectations of being a #1 pick.
