Josh Vitters is, um, like, awesome

[bozos72]

I thought 10 million was the bonus.  If it was that amount and not 3.2 mil, isn't a little jackassery called for?

I haven't checked, but there's NO WAY that his bonus is 10MM.  He may have signed a contract for a total of 10MM, but that would be a major league deal so he would have to be put on the 40 man roster.  I can't imagine Hendry doing that for a 17 year old.  Those kinds of contracts are given out to college guys who are at most a year away form the majors.  See Prior, Mark and Teixiera, Mark.

[Slaky+]

Great.  Desipio already hates a 17-year-old kid before he's played one minor league game for the Cubs.  Nice work, fellas.

Yeah, I really wasn't a big fan of this one...was gonna write something snotty such as: Oh, I too was surprised that a 17 year old kid who had probably not had a lot of experience sitting in on a nearly nationwide broadcast sounded a little out of it.

I guess I just did.

Oh, come on.  He was really, really bad.  He had two months to think of something to say.  It might not be fair to make fun of him, but it's also not fair that he's a millionaire and I'm not, so until he learns a word besides "awesome", I'm going to reserve the right to make fun of him.

Seriously: realizing when one is 15 or 16 that one is destined to make millions, assuming that one can manage to keep all of one's limbs attached to one's body, and whether or not one ever actually produces at a Major League-level, apparently does not bode well for one's studiousness.  I realize that is not exactly an original observation.  Nevertheless, what on earth do these kids do when they flame out?  $3 million isn't enough for a 17 year old to retire on, and he probably doesn't even have a proper high school education, being too busy to bother with such things, given all the baseball and sex with cheerleaders.

At least Len and Bob let him reel off 300 people that he wanted to thank. How come WGN didn't have the move it along music handy?

[D. Doluntap]

Did the Cubs really give that kid 10 mil?  He better have Cecil Fielder power, because he is a dumb mother fucker if he thinks he's going to waltz in here and be a .320 hitter with power.  Have a cup of humility, son.  Tell us you are going to work your ass off and bust some hymans, that's how you'll get my respek.

What did you expect?  A top draft pick thinks he's going to be great.  I'm shocked!  Let's get out the indignation!!!

I wish he would have said that he'd struggle in A ball, finally put it together and dominate AA and AAA only to flame out and never reach his potential posting a career line of 244/290/393 in 354 career at bats.

Honestly, can't you think of something better to complain about that the fact some super talented high school player thinks he's going to be great.  Isn't there a drama geek at your local high school that wants to be in a Scorsese film that you can go throw rotten fruit at?

My wife swears the drama kids in her High School weren't geeks.

Of course, she went to Ridgewood (NJ) High School - home of the Fighting Caucasians.

Drama kids were all big and fat and gross and they all fucked each other. So they did generally have a lot of sex. But consider who they were having sex with. Gross.

Brodie: My grandma always used to say, "Why buy the cow, when you get the sex for free."

[Tinker to Evers to Chance]

Josh Vitters went on to say, "It feels out there. I mean, it's a major rush. I mean, it feels radical in kind of a tubular sort of way, but most of all, it feels out there."

[Lance Dicksons Arm]

Josh Vitters went on to say, "It feels out there. I mean, it's a major rush. I mean, it feels radical in kind of a tubular sort of way, but most of all, it feels out there."

Desipiots simulataneously responded, "Hopeless.  Utterly fucking hopeless."

[Corn-fed]

Josh Vitters went on to say, "It feels out there. I mean, it's a major rush. I mean, it feels radical in kind of a tubular sort of way, but most of all, it feels out there."

Was this before or after he gave credit to the Swami Baha, "whose positive-thinking records have been a tremendous help"?

[CT II]

Josh Vitters went on to say, "It feels out there. I mean, it's a major rush. I mean, it feels radical in kind of a tubular sort of way, but most of all, it feels out there."

Was this before or after he gave credit to the Swami Baha, "whose positive-thinking records have been a tremendous help"?

JOSH IS A KILLER!

Josh is a mess.

[Kwyjibo]

One with the universe, nothing matters.

[RV]

Since the rest of the minor league system is garbage, we might as well splooge over Vitters' month of May:

.386/.417/.754 line for a Foxian 1.171 OPS, a Peoria Chiefs record 12 HRs to go along with 6 doubles, 27 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

I'll wait until we're done squrting it to point out his Colvin-esque 6:1 K:BB ratio and the fact that he's a butcher at 3B (already 8 errors this season).

[Shooter]

Since the rest of the minor league system is garbage, we might as well splooge over Vitters' month of May:

.386/.417/.754 line for a Foxian 1.171 OPS, a Peoria Chiefs record 12 HRs to go along with 6 doubles, 27 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

I'll wait until we're done squrting it to point out his Colvin-esque 6:1 K:BB ratio and the fact that he's a butcher at 3B (already 8 errors this season).

When do the Cubs trade him for Matt Karchner?

[Eli]

Since the rest of the minor league system is garbage, we might as well splooge over Vitters' month of May:

The system has shown a few more promising signs this year.  Still not a lot of future studs in the organization (basically Vitters and mayyybe Jay Jackson), but there are a number of guys who could become solid MLB regulars.  That's better than what we've seen in years past, so I'll take it. The Cubs are going to need some cheap regulars in the next few years, so hopefully they can get some from the farm system.

As for Vitters' walk rate, I wouldn't be too concerned at this point.  It's hard for him to draw a lot of walks, because he generally hits the first strike he sees over the fence.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Since the rest of the minor league system is garbage, we might as well splooge over Vitters' month of May:

The system has shown a few more promising signs this year.  Still not a lot of future studs in the organization (basically Vitters and mayyybe Jay Jackson), but there are a number of guys who could become solid MLB regulars.  That's better than what we've seen in years past, so I'll take it. The Cubs are going to need some cheap regulars in the next few years, so hopefully they can get some from the farm system.

As for Vitters' walk rate, I wouldn't be too concerned at this point.  It's hard for him to draw a lot of walks, because he generally hits the first strike he sees over the fence.

Not bad for 17 years worth of work.

[Quality Start Machine]

Since the rest of the minor league system is garbage, we might as well splooge over Vitters' month of May:

The system has shown a few more promising signs this year.  Still not a lot of future studs in the organization (basically Vitters and mayyybe Jay Jackson), but there are a number of guys who could become solid MLB regulars.  That's better than what we've seen in years past, so I'll take it. The Cubs are going to need some cheap regulars in the next few years, so hopefully they can get some from the farm system.

As for Vitters' walk rate, I wouldn't be too concerned at this point.  It's hard for him to draw a lot of walks, because he generally hits the first strike he sees over the fence.

29 K in 177 ABs? Not bad at all.

Anyone follow the Cubs' farm closely enough to know if there are any plans to move him up to AA or Iowa at the halfway mark?

[Eli]

29 K in 177 ABs? Not bad at all.

Anyone follow the Cubs' farm closely enough to know if there are any plans to move him up to AA or Iowa at the halfway mark?

Peoria is still low-A ball, so the next step would be high-A Daytona for him.  I imagine that's as far as he'll get this season.  Since he's only 19, there's really no reason to rush it.  If he does well, he could start next season in AA and probably see a full season there.

[Quality Start Machine]

29 K in 177 ABs? Not bad at all.

Anyone follow the Cubs' farm closely enough to know if there are any plans to move him up to AA or Iowa at the halfway mark?

Peoria is still low-A ball, so the next step would be high-A Daytona for him.  I imagine that's as far as he'll get this season.  Since he's only 19, there's really no reason to rush it.

I'd say if you're sending him to high-A, let him see what the world looks like from the other corner of the infield.