[BA] Cubs' Hill keeps dominating Triple-A
Cubs lefthander Rich Hill remains one of the tougher pitchers to decipher in
baseball.
He has had big stuff—low 90s velocity and a big, hard curveball--since his
college days at Michigan, though he only went 7-16, 4.93 during his
Wolverines career. And he has been erratic in the minor leagues, entering
2006 with a .500 career record and an ERA near 4. But he also has dominated,
with 491 career strikeouts in 351 career minor league innings.
Hill's inability to throw consistent strikes always has frustrated scouts,
and it frustrated the Cubs last year, as he went just 0-2, 9.13 in 10 big
league games. He struck out 21 but walked 17 in 24 innings with the Cubs and
was actually worse in a four-start cameo this season, one that was bad even
by 2006 Cubs standards. Hill walked 15 in 19 innings while losing all four
starts.
So how come this guy is just amazing in Triple-A? Saturday night, Hill
pitched seven one-hit innings for Iowa in a 3-0 victory against Memphis,
striking out 14 and walking one. Of his 105 pitches, 71 were for strikes.
Iowa manager Mike Quade, up with the major league club as a third-base coach,
told reporters Hill's biggest issue remains fastball command.
"He may point up the difference between the (Triple-A and major league)
levels more than anybody," Quade told MLB.com. "Pitches that I believe he
gets outs with there, he hasn't gotten outs with here. It may be because he's
behind in the count."
Hill's victory improved him to 7-1, 1.80, and even with the big league
detour, he leads the Pacific Coast League in two triple-crown categories: ERA
and strikeouts. His 135 K's have come in just 100 innings, and he's allowed
just 88 baserunners (62 hits, 5 HBPs, 21 walks). With the Cubs' dealing Scott
Williamson to the Padres and losing lefty Sean Marshall to the disabled list
(strained oblique), Hill could get another chance at the majors soon.
"Every game, you go out and go as hard as you can," Hill told the Des Moines
Register after his victory Saturday. "Every game is an audition."
Enough with the auditions. Hill needs to perform on the big stage now.
Team W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO
Iowa Cubs 7 1 1.80 15 15 0 0 0 100.0 62 22 20 3 21 135
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 61.228.185.93
Cubs 近期熱門文章
11
17
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章