Owen Caissie’s Batting Gloves – Picture by Todd Johnson
Today was a long day.
It was made even longer with an unexpected trip to Davenport tonight that I had not originally planned on. Due to the possibility of inclement weather and my wife feeling a little under the weather yesterday, I decided to go today instead of yesterday . It turned out to be a good night for taking pictures of a lot of minor league players.
As for the action on the field today in the system, it was not a good day, especially for the four full-season affiliates. Tennessee lost an extra innings 6 to 5 while the Omaha Storm Chasers went homer happy over the Iowa Cubs 8-2. South Bend lost 8-3 in what was a pretty close game until the bottom of the eighth. Myrtle Beach has a suspended game but most of today’s award winners are coming from the two rookie league. It’s the rare exception (Like the Mongols – History Joke) where we are going to reward them for their outstanding performances today.
Dinger of the Day
Narciso Crook has 5 HRs in his last 6 games. He is trying to push his way to Chicago.
Pitcher of the Day
Melvyn Amador is 18 years old and a lefty who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs only 172 pounds. He made his second start of the year for the Red team in the DSL and went four innings and did not allow a hit or a run while walking two and striking out two. On the year, Amador has a 1.29 ERA. He could be something to watch the next few weeks.
Reliever of the Day
The award goes to Jose Romero who is 21 and is making his stateside debut in Arizona. He only pitched two innings today, but he struck out five and walked one and he did not allow a hit or run. The 21-year-old is a right-hander who is only 5-foot-10. On the year, he has a 1.93 ERA and a 0.43 WHIP
Hitter of the Day
Our hitter of the day is none other than Christian Olivo. The former infielder has been playing a lot in the outfield to start the Arizona Complex League season. Today, he went 2-for-3 and drove in 2 runs. Hopefully, that will jumpstart the 18-year-old’s career. The Cubs took Olivo in the 17th round out of Leadership Christian in Puerto Rico in the 2021 Draft as a shortstop. Considering who is at SS in Mesa, it is no surprise Olivo changed positions.
I will be back in the morning with a “Hot List” for the month of June do far!
Pictures of the Day
Here are some snapshots I took from today. You can always see more over on North Side Bound’s Facebook Page.