huntsvillefan

I try not to comment on character too much, but if Montgomery prospect Elijah Dukes comes to a ball park near you, feel free to give him a hard time. He got himself tossed tonight by continuing to argue a called third strike from the dugout after the next guy up had actually received a couple of pitches. Fair enough , everyone loses it sometimes, but the self indulgent brat then proceeded to trash the visitors locker room. So violent were his excesses, that you could hear the sounds of smashing glass and breaking wood from the boxseats all along the first base side. The guys who look after those lockers have taken a lot of pride in making them as neat and comfortable as possible, putting a lot of their own spare time into making extra stuff for them. I don't know if the Stars will invoice Montgomery for the damage (I suspect not), but even if they do, the mess will still have to be cleaned up by some lowly paid, hard working, guys, who won't get one cent extra. Meanwhile Mr Big Time Ball Player Dukes struts off leaving his mess behind him. There are lots of admirable young men in the ranks of minor league ball, but after tonight, I'd need a lot of convincing that Elijah Dukes is one of them. If anyone knows of a similar web site to this for Devil Ray fans, could they let me know. I'd like to post this on their site, so they know just what kind of guy their prospect is. EDIT Dukes did well at high Single-A Lancaster to finish the season after sitting out a month for anger-management intervention. Just found this, so I guess interested Tampa bay fans already know. Though it does sound like they need to improve their anger management course.

some dude named castro is playing 3b for the stars Actually Vinnie Rottino is getting a lot of his playing time at 3b. Despite Reid Nicholls saying less than a month ago 'We know Vinnie can play catcher' that experiment seems to have been mostly (and wisely) abandoned. I assume that they are hoping that Vinnie might still be the Brewers future 3b. He and Ben Van I filled the corner OF spots tonight - that really is the Defensive OF from hell. Neither of them are really suited to positions that require you to run anywhere. Actually 3b seems to be Vinnie's best position, he's a bit stiff but he usually makes a reasonable throw to 1B. EDIT I just checked back a couple of weeks and it looks like Vinnie is only spending just over 50% of his time at 3B and the rest in the corner OF spots. I had thought it was more like 75% of his time at 3B, but it looks like I just have been lucky in the games I attended. I guess Vinnie's value is going to be as a utility guy who plays the less taxing defensive slots adequately. Bringing Heether up would more or less confine him to OF starts and I assume they aren't ready to do that just yet.

Vanden Berg in right with a hit and a walk... I didn't make it to last night's game, but I have a gut feeling that whoever makes up the box score got his Bergs confused with his Iderstines.

He went back there where the weather's warm, Huntsville isn't exactly Anarctica at the minute!!! Seriously though, terrible news about Manny and I hope he does find a cure. When he is on, he really looks something special.

Sounds like Nelson Cruz could play CF from those exploits. I'm beginning to think they just don't turn it on in Huntsville - maybe its all the Southern Cooking

The real worry tonight was Khalid, who left the mound clutching his pitching arm http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif Hope everything is OK What speed is Ty's fastball? Tonight it never reached 90 and it didn't seem to move much. Their hitters just stood and waited for it.

I'm in total agreement with Hoffy - great job Bill. Any chance of repeating it with the Huntsville 3 next time you find someone good to listen to?

Wow - assuming that Dennis and Manny return, this rotation looks as good as anything ever seen here. A bit of me feels sick for Dennis & Dana as that promotion never quite comes, but mostly I just feel priveleged to watch this group. Khalid collecting the win here (even though I really do heart him) shows yet again why its the stupidest stat in all baseball.

On the Stars broadcast tonight they said that TGJ is going to DH on the All Star team (honest). I wonder if there'll ever be a DH anywhere with a lower SLG %?

I HEART Brad Nelson! Anyone who doesn't think wins are a ridiculous pitching stat, have a look at what Stetter did to earn this one tonight.

Well, Krynzel's sure showing some fire When he went through his much talked about Huntsville slump, he also got himself thrown out of a game. Its so different from the way he normally behaves, that it really does show how frustrated these slumps make him. I'm going to be ridiculed for even suggesting this (probably rightly so http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ) but I think he needs Major League AB's. I'd like to see if Butch could work some magic with him, I'm pretty certain Frank et al can't.

And I bet Sarfate was just grumpy I don't know about that, but he was given absolutely no assistance, by one of the most apathetically awful displays of defense. the sheer ineptitude of which simply doesn't show on the error count. Good defenders get him out of the second and probably the third inning before they score on him.

The guy is just the reigning AA MVP He's doing great, but he was MVP two years ago. This is his second time round AAA. He really should get the next corner OF promotion to MIL. Defensive wizzes N Cruz and TGJ with an error apiece tonight. I know I always say that error count doesn't give a fair picture and in their case it doesn't. They're both worse than their count suggests

Tony Gwynn with a nice night in the leadoff spot -- unless you count getting picked off one inning and getting caught stealing the next time up Don't forget the other CS and the error - I swear that the better TGJ hits, the worse he gets at every other aspect of his game. Maybe Rickie & Prince explained to him that the Brewers don't care about your D or your base running, hitting is the only thing that counts in this set up. Still, despite the loss at least we battled in this one -Call me a fool, but I really do have hopes of a more competitive second half.

OK lol. though I think its a bit early to read anything into anything they do at the plate

It did not take Butch long to help Rickie and Prince adjust to the big leagues You thought they'd both come up and reel off 57 game hitting streaks? - Give them a chance

Kennard Bibbs started tonight in CF, he is so much more convincing defensively than TGJ. One really sweet catch where Cruz in normal RF position lost the ball in the air and Bibbs covered enough ground to catch it dropping behind him. A nice straightforward running catch, no flourishes, no hot dogging - just getting the job done.

The Brewers are trying to develop a winning attitude in the minors, Now Toby - those of us who have actually watched them over the last few years (the minor teams) will take a lot of convincing of that http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif

but I promise you Prince and Rickie could give a rat's behind what Frank says. I tend to agree, which is one reason why their D is probably destined to remain sub standard for their careers . It doesn't really look like either them has ever listened to any of their coaches or managers on that subject. To be fair, One of Frank's few talents (IMO) is his ability to handle the press. And what he says to the Nashville reporters is liable to be very different from how he handles things in the club house. The press will be told what they want to hear about the dismal performances (making sure no blame falls on the manager) and apart from that he'll be a total realist in the clubhouse and try a much more friendly approach. Attracting adverse media coverage might actually be one of the few things that persuade Rickie & Prince to work on the less glamorous aspects of their game, so this might be the right way to handle it. Don Money is in a totally different position at Huntsville.None of the players he bawled out have any of the prestige that Prince and Rickie have. The Cruz twins & TGJ might feel that they have some sort of status, but in reality they'd all like good reports going from the manager to Mil. So after having tried everything else he can think of Money may as well try threats - what has he got to lose? Also it gives the press what they want - Team plays bad, manager goes ballistic, is an acceptable story for the local populace who have had to watch the pitiful excuse for baseball that this lot have served up. What he actually said behind closed doors may well have been more temperate than what was reported. Or to put it another way - don't believe everything you read in the local press.

Brandon Gemoll with two of the three Stars' errors, Glenn Woolard the other; Tony Gwynn Jnr & Nelson Cruz with the other 3 - only they were too asleep to actually get a glove to them, so they don't count officially. how does Enrique Cruz get picked off first in the 4th? A combination of the total lack of baseball basics, that is this team's trademark, and one of the worst umpiring crews in the Southern League. I occasionally read a whole Brewer's game thread and watch the interesting mood swings. I can assure you if the typical contributor to those threads had watched Stars games recently, there would have been murder, suicide and alcoholic poisoning in Milwaukee. The worst of the comments heaped on Moeller, Spivey, Jenkins and even early Helms, would be as the milk of human kindness compared to those made about any single position player or 80% of the bullpen. This has got to be one of the sorriest excuses for a ball team ever - not because of lack of talent (though it is spread thin), but because of the total inability to apply themselves with anything resembling enthusiasm to the basics of the game. Most of the stuff they do would get a 10 year old in little league benched.

Sadly Mass, though I hate to admit it, I'm starting to agree with you. It just goes to show that a great starting rotation isn't enough on its own. I feel sorry for Sarfate, Eveland & Parra, in most teams they'd have superb Win / Loss records, instead they're saddled with this lot and open to criticism from the Joe Morgan's of this world. I haven't crunched any numbers, but my gut feeling is that one of the biggest problems is that the bullpen has proven to be a bit of an illusion. Stetter fooled everybody first time around, but now they're getting a second look at him, he doesn't seem to be able to cast the same spell over them. Gamble is of course injured, but even before that teams had worked out that they just had to sit and wait for his fastball. I actually think that we miss having Matt Ford, he'd had some very mixed performances, but he still felt like a real pitcher. Its great to have Khalid to pitch long relief and I hope he gets another shot at starting, but really the cupboard feels a bit bare at times, especially for want of a closer type . Teams that have had a good look at some of the players are starting to set their D for them. The best or worst example is probably Callix they're really bringing the outfield in for him and shifting too. They're a tough team to watch right now and if it wasn't for Sarfate, Eveland & Parra, I'd be very tempted to stay home most nights and do something entertaining like watching paint dry. I think its one of the main reasons I really hope Sarfate makes it. Of all the guys on that team, he is the one that really looks like he is busting his gut to try and get a win. I really do hope he gets promoted soon. One thing I should say as I'm very prone to knock Rickie's D, I don't usually repeat overheard conversations here, but at least two of the players think his D will be fine in the majors at 2B. And as I thought it would be at least another year before he was hitting like this, I could very well be wrong about his D too.

Rickie has got great range, he just seldom picks the right direction to utilize it. I love the 'he's no Ozzie Smith'http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif He might even qualify for 'he's no Soriano' (defensively that is) On a completely different subject, It has taken me two whole days to change my mind on Nelson Cruz - If and when there is a place for him, he really is AAA ready. He's one of those guys who looks awful when he doesn't hit. Quite capable of coming to bat and taking 3 huge hacks whatever the state of the game or the opposing pitcher, and when he strikes out it looks awful. But ultimately the numbers don't lie and his OPS trumps those gritty battlers who foul off numerous pitches before hitting a line drive straight to a fielder. I'd be tempted to move him quickly before the rest of our current bunch of losers contaminate him. There really is no reason for this team to be this bad, yet time after time they find a way to turn victory into defeat. I can't even find it in my heart to blame Don Money, the poor guy seems to have tried everything except managing in a tutu and they just keep finding ways to lose for him. If I sound particuarily vitriolic - it is because I am. I had to suffer todays last two innings debacle sitting behind a group of Atlanta Braves fans, who having griped all game, got all smug and kept saying loudly 'thats Braves baseball' as we handed one of the worst defensive teams I've seen (apart from us) another win. I have seen this team play well, (i.e. against a great Carolina team on their first home stand) and they really are so much better than this, but their whole approach can be described by a word DHonks used recently to describe Rickie's D - nonchalant (at least thats the polite word that best describes them) I really do live in hope that they can turn this round , but they really are a frustrating bunch to watch!

If they really want to promote Cruz, Knox should still be capable of playing CF - I've read that his D has deteriorated, but he could do it well enough to let Cruz go up. My own feeling is that Cruz, despite nice power numbers, hasn't coped well enough with AA batting yet to demonstrate that he'd do well at AAA or higher. His D certainly doesn't suggest that he could play CF. On a totally different subject, does any one know where I could find Don Money's Win / Loss records as a minor league manager. Yes I know it is irrelevant yada, yada yada. I'm just curious.

I'm glad Brian is getting a good game to watch in Nashville as there is a bit of disappointment for him in Huntsville tonight. Khalid pitched in relief, which I presume means that he goes to the pen to make way for Ryan Costello. I feel really sorry for him (Khalid), you can't argue that Ryan deserves to be starting at AA, but it would have been nice to see the space made for him by Sarfate's promotion to Nashville rather than this. I really have felt that Khalid has pitched better than his numbers show, but thats obviously not the view held in Milwaukee.

Plus, unlike Enrique, he can field his position without an error every other game. I know its not going to be a popular statement - but Enrique looks more comfortable at SS this year than Rickie did at 2B last year. Maybe Rickie has improved a lot