Prospect Updates

[aTrUeCUBsFaN]

05/17/2005 3:44 PM ET
Sing showing he belongs and more
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

CHATTANOOGA -- Brandon Sing was ready this time.

Ready for the Southern League. Ready for the challenge. Ready for the task that seemed to prove to daunting in 2003. That was the last time Sing, 24, played for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx and let's just says his ability to cope on this Double-A circuit wasn't exactly what the Cubs hoped it would be.

So, Chicago sent him back to Class A Daytona in 2004 where all he did was crack 32 homers, drive in 94 runs and win the Florida State League's Most Valuable Player award. Armed with his trophy and another year's worth of experience, Sing has made a successful return to the Southern League this season, helping the Diamond Jaxx plow their way to first place in the North Division.

"I feel comfortable and I'm doing what I did last year," said Sing, a lifelong Cubs fan who grew up in Joliet, just outside Chicago. "I feel the same way I felt last year. When I was here a few years ago, I felt overmatched. I wasn't comfortable in the box. Pitchers here have three pitches and they throw them all for strikes at any time in the count."

Now, however, it doesn't seem to matter much what the pitchers are throwing at what point in the count. Sing seems to be hitting anyway, posting a .327 average through 31 games with eight homers and 24 RBIs. Not bad numbers, especially considering that he hit .209 with five homers and had 23 RBIs in 42 games for the Diamond Jaxx in 2003.

"You look at the numbers from last year and we might have rushed him a little [in 2003]," West Tenn hitting coach Von Joshua said. "He's a totally different hitter now. It's probably a natural process he should have made. He's got a better command of the strike zone now. He won't admit it but he still looks for pitches to hit out of the park and we're trying to get him to focus on the whole field.

"But he's adapting. He gets a little impatient up there once in a while. But they know how to pitch him now. When he does get a pitch now, he doesn't miss it. Teams will pitch around him, though, and you try to get him to take a walk, not hit into the next county."

In addition to being overmatched in 2003, Sing missed the final two and a half months of the season battling mononucleosis. So, he went back to Spring Training in 2004 determined to show the Cubs what he was capable of accomplishing. He did that and more at Daytona, saying that hitting 30 homers last season was "a blur."

It may have been a blur to the 6-foot-4 slugger but he's carried that stroke over into this season and looks, if he keeps up at this pace, like he'll be in Triple-A Iowa before too long. Sing won't allow himself to think that far ahead, though, especially since that would put him a breath away from playing for the team for which he grew up rooting.

"You can't give yourself a timetable because it's not up to you," Sing said. "You just go out every day and get better and try to give yourself a shot to show you can play in Triple-A or better. It's up to the guys above me. They watch my progress and once they think I'm ready, I'll go."

If and when Sing does return to Chicago as a Cub, it will be special. He says he was shocked the day the Cubs chose him in the 20th round of the 1999 draft, adding that when general manager Jim Hendry called to congratulate him, it was like a dream come true. His hero was Ryne Sandberg and now there's a good chance Sing will have the opportunity to stand on the same infield where his idol carved out a Hall-of-Fame career.

It doesn't matter now that he had to take a step back in order to take a step forward. Because Sing is showing now that he's ready for the Southern League, ready to prove he's capable of taking that next step, this time in the right direction.

Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[aTrUeCUBsFaN]

Our top 10 prospects according to BA, and how they are doing:
1. Brian Dopirak, 1b (High A, Daytona Cubs)
.240 AVG, .280 OBP, .397 SLG, 17 Rs, 29 Hs, 5 2Bs, 6 HRs, 20 RBIs, 8 BBs, 27 Ks, 1 SB, 1 CS.

2. Felix Pie, of (AA, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx)
.359 AVG, .410 OBP, .655 SLG, 29 Rs, 51Hs, 14 2Bs, 2 3B, 8 HRs, 12 BBs, 28 Ks, 13 SBs, 6 CSs.

3. Ryan Harvey, of (Low A Peoria Chiefs)
.277 AVG, .341 OBP, .494 SLG, 15 Rs, 23 Hs, 3 2Bs, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs, 5 BBs, 26 Ks, 5 SBs, 3 CSs

4. Angel Guzman, rhp (side lined, arm problem)
Starting at West Tenn once healthy.

5. Billy Petrick, rhp (High A Dayton Cubs)
1-3, 4.5 ERA, 32 IP, 29 Hs, 16 ERs, 2 HRs, 15 BBs, 22 Ks.

6. Renyel Pinto, lhp (AA, West Tenn Diamond Jacks
0-0, 3.27 ERa, 11 IP, 8 H, 4 ERs, 6 BBs, 10 Ks.

7. Sean Marshall, lhp (High A, Daytona Cubs)
3-1, 1.62 ERA, 39 IP, 34 Hs, 7 Ers, 2 HRs, 13 BBs, 36 Ks.

8. John Leicester, rhp (AAA, Iowa Cubs)
0-1, 4.50 ERA, 10 IP, 8 Hs, 5 Ers, 3 BBs, 6 Ks.

9. Grant Johnson, rhp (Side lined, sore hamstring)
Starting at Mesa once healthy.

10. Jason Dubois, of/1b (Major League, Chicago Cubs)
.250 AVG, .300 OBP, .554 SLG, 7 Rs, 14 HS, 5 2Bs, 4 HRs, 13 RBIs, 2 BBs, 21 Ks.

Other notible players:
IowaCubs:
Ronny Cedeno IF
.346 AVG, .377 OBP, .531 SLG, 8 Rs, 18 Hs, 1 2B, 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, 4 BBs, 7 Ks, 3 SBs.

David Kelton:
.317 AVG, .367 OBP, .521 SLG, 19 Rs, 46 Hs, 14 2Bs, 1 3B, 4 HRs, 30 RBIs, 8 BBs, 26 Ks.

Richard Lewis:
.200 AVG, .280 OBP, .250 SLG, 12 Rs, 24 Hs, 2 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 8 RBIs, 11 BBs, 24 Ks, 2 SBs, 1 CS.

Sergio Mitre:
3-4, 4.60 ERA, 45 IP, 49 Hs, 23 ERs, 14 BBs, 37 Ks.

Bobby Brownlie:
1-3, 5.59 ERA, 37 IPs, 34 Hs, 14 ERs, 10 BBs, 20 Ks.

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx:
Matt Murton:
.406 AVG, .482 OBP, .608 SLG, 29 Rs, 58 Hs, 10 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 5 HRs, 25 RBIs, 19 BBs, 14 Ks, 9 SBs, 2 CSs.

Brandon Sing:
.333 AVG, .461 OBP, .719 SLG, 30 Rs, 38 Hs, 14 2Bs, 10 HRs, 27 RBIs, 26 BBs, 30 Ks (nice ratio).

Casey McGehee:
.328 AVG, .364 OBP, .484 SLG, 21 Rs, 40 Hs, 11 2Bs, 1 3Bs, 2 HRs, 20 RBIs, 7 BBs, 18 Ks.

Carlos Nolasco:
6-0, 2.06 ERA, 48 IPs, 39 Hs, 11 ERs, 14 BBs, 18 Ks.

Richard Hill:
4-1, 2.64 ERA, 47.2 IP, 31 Hs, 14 ERs, 16 BBs, 73 Ks(WOW).

Jae Kruk Ryu:
4-1, 3.73 ERA, 41 IP, 45 Hs, 17 ERs, 12 BBs, 34 Ks.

Daytona Cubs:
None others.

Peoria Chiefs:
Eric Patterson:
.387 AVG, .495 OBP, .533 SLG, 19 Rs, 29 Hs, 3 2Bs, 1 3B, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 13 BBs, 12 Ks, 10 SBs, 2 CSs (he could be better than Corey Patterson since Patterson is not living up to his expectation)

Luis Montanez:
.283 AVG, .353 OBPs, .428 SLG, 24 Rs, 43 Hs, 14 2Bs, 1 3B, 2 HRs, 18 RBIs, 11 BBs, 26 Ks, 5 SBs, 3 CSs.

[aTrUeCUBsFaN]

That was tiring.
Anyway, we got couple nice players in the AA, and once they all develop, we should have a decent major league team. As fro Petrik and MArshall, I thought they were in West Tenn (AA) last year, and did well, but now they are in High A.

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'Minor matters: Carmen Pignatiello threw nine shutout innings on Monday for Double-A West Tenn in a 1-0, 10-inning win over Mobile. Pignatiello had a no-hit bid going through 8 2/3 innings before giving up a single. He struck out 11. Felix Pie hit a walkoff homer in the bottom of the 10th. He now has 10 home runs. ... Raul Valdez gave up five earned runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings in Iowa's 7-5 loss to Sacramento. Ronny Cedeno was 3-for-4. ... J.R. Mathes gave up two runs on 10 hits over six innings for Class A Daytona in a 3-2 win over Dunedin. ... Luis Montanez went 5-for-6 with a solo homer for Peoria in a 16-3 win over Southwest Michigan.' - cubs.com
Notes

Great pitching performance by Piggy, and nice way to end the game. I am really excited about Pie, and I do wish he will get better at base stealing. He's super fast, but does not have a good read on the base path.

[awefullspellare]

Like the way Felix Pie is doing so far. Good stuff.