TooLiveBrew

I realize that's the case, but the impression I took from his apology was that he was passive-aggressively defending his actions. That was the distinction I was trying to draw btw. Pettitte's and Melky's statements.

This could be another wild finish in Huntsville

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4cpufOPCt1r3hrka.gif

26. Drew Gagnon: This is a guy I probably should've had higher. He's done nothing but succeed this season, with pretty even L/R splits. In August 2011, Jim Breen noted, "Milwaukee thinks Gagnon's low-90s fastball, changeup, and curveball can eventually develop into third-starter material."... and Gagnon has done nothing to dispel that notion. 27. Jed Bradley: I realize this is a sky-is-falling thing to say, and the situations are obviously different, but I just can't help but be reminded of Eric Arnett here. Rest up, get well, and come back strong in 2013, Jed. The upside is clearly there. 28. Cody Scarpetta: Pre-2011, Baseball America had him as the Brewers' #2 prospect. A tear in his UCL was discovered in 2012 ST, and obviously he hasn't pitched this season. Possible candidate for having the most option seasons ever (/half blue, I have no idea). Interesting story on the technique used to repair his UCL that Mass Haas probably linked to months ago. 29. Damien Magnifico: You've heard about the huge FB velocity, and it's why he's ranked where he is. He's only had two good outings out of his six pro appearances so far, but with his arm, he's going to get every chance... and then some... to succeed. The reports around draft time seemed to agree that his FB was straight enough that hitters could still catch up to it, and that he had been working on refining the pitch by possibly sacrificing some velo for movement. I'm guessing he'll be assigned to Wisconsin next season, so Brewers fans will be able to check him out in person. 30. Gian Rizzo: For an example of how impressive Rizzo has been, he's cut a stingy 1.96 BB/9 rate from '11 nearly in half this season. He allowed one HR last season, none so far this year. With the numbers he's posted (1.82 2011 ERA, 1.13 so far in '12), it's easy to get confused as to why he's still in the DSL. It really could be for any number of reasons, and since he still hasn't turned 19 (9/5/12), there really isn't any reason to be worried. Nobody seems to have a scouting report on Rizzo, which seems a little odd given his success. But if he has velocity & stuff to go with his obvious command, he could make a big-time splash on top prospect lists. 31. Ruben Ozuna: Another big young DSL product, Ozuna hasn't been able to quite replicate his DSL & AZL success with Helena. But aside from a 5-25 May, his offense looks almost exactly like it did heading into '12. He turns 21 in a few days, so there's not much to be worried about... I'm guessing he'll be moved to WI for full-season ball next year, especially since his July & August so far have been his best hitting months on the campaign. 32. Carlos Belonis: Even with my standard caveat of not knowing anything about a DSL prospect, Belonis is hard to ignore. He turns 18 on 8/19, was signed for a pricey $550K and considered by Ben Badler of BA to be the cream of last offseason's DSL crop for the Brewers. He's a big dude already (6'3"/175 listed), and as Mass Haas speculated in the transactions thread I linked to, might need to move to a corner position as he grows. Pretty clearly a high-upside prospect, and he's been white-hot since returning from a relatively minor injury that saw him miss 18 games in July-August. So far this month, he's 10-23 with a 1.154 OPS, and he hit his first two pro HRs in his second game back from injury (8/10). He's struck out a ton, but with his potential & production so far, I don't think it should be a concern just yet. 33. Angel Ortega: The 6th rounder from this year's draft comes with a pretty glowing scouting report via Perfect Game: "The wiry 6-foot-2, 165-pound Ortega has outstanding actions at shortstop, with easy flowing movements, very soft and flashy hands, and excellen[t] balance through release on his throws. He’s fun to watch play defense and has a nose for the spectacular play. While his glove grades out as well-above average, his raw arm strength is average, although it plays up due to his quick exchange and release. A switch-hitter, it is believed he could progress as a hitter as he continues to add strength to his frame." He's listed as a RH hitter on his MiLB player page, so not sure if he ditched the 'switch'. The defense alone is exciting. Here's a look at him. 34. Edgardo Rivera: '12 8th rounder. Perfect Game provided some great info on him during the draft: "Rivera was on virtually no one’s follow list before competing in the Excellence Games in early May, where he ripped off a startling 6.3-time in the 60. ... Rivera is a lefthanded hitter with a short, quick swing that is pretty fundamentally sound, although he is unlikely to develop anything more than gap-type power in the future. His blazing speed will no doubt provide him with exceptional range once he improves his routes and jumps on fly balls in centerfield. There is some talk of Rivera being drafted as high as the third round, but the fifth round seems more appropriate, given his late emergence as a prospect." So far his bat has lived up to the scouting report, and if he progresses, the Brewers could come away with good value from the 8th round. 35. Zach Quintana: We really are spoiled by Mr. Ebert's involvement with Brewerfan, as PG always supplies great content during the draft: "The 6-foot, 190-pound Quintana has a strong, physically-mature and athletic frame, and a quick, live arm with a fastball that was normally in the 88-92 mph range last summer, but has been more consistently in the low-90s and up to 94-95 this spring. He also has a solid mid-70s downer curveball and good feel for an upper-70s changeup. He displays good overall pitchability and commands three pitches, and has the arm speed to add even more velocity. If he was even 2-3 inches taller, Quintana might push to be drafted as high as the second round." Even with his struggles so far in the AZL, I probably should have him higher. 36. T.J. Mittelstaedt: Versatile LH swinger with some pop. Add those two together, & you have a shot at a career in the bigs as a useful bench player. He hadn't really struggled as a hitter until reaching Huntsville this season. While his AVG is down, the ISO is still good. Ks have held back his offensive production throughout his pro career, but he also draws BBs at a good rate. 37. Josh Prince: Moved from SS to CF this season, which means he's got a lot of guys ahead of him on the organizational depth chart. Struggled at A- & his first shot at A+, but improved offensively as he repeated at Brevard County last year. Continued offensive improvement this season at Huntsville, but not a star-caliber bat. Good BB rate, awful K rate, and he looks to be very aggressive on the basepaths (41/57, 72% in SB attempts). 38. Kentrail Davis: There is one issue that would completely change Davis's prospect status, and it's the all too familiar K rate. He has the arm & ability to play RF well. 39. Yadiel Rivera: Yep, K rate again. He gets rave reviews for his defense, and has pop. However, his swing gets called "long", and you can see it even in just his slash line so far: .225/.271/.389/.659. 40. Jason Rogers: He's been older for his levels so far, but he's hit. Good BB rate, a good BB/K ratio, and a solid bat so far this season have yielded a .300 AVG/.400 OBP guy with pop. 2012 has been a breakout season for him, and his .862 OPS thus far in the FSL cannot be overlooked. Even with all that, I have to say, my favorite aspect of the big guy (6'2"/250 listed) is that he's got some El Caballo sneakability on the basepaths -- 21/26 (81%) in SB attempts in his pro career so far. 41. Ben McMahan: 2011 23rd rounder from UF has thunder in his bat, but needs to refine his K/BB ratio. He's still basically a .300 AVG hitter even now with a pretty brutal K/BB, so if he can refine that part of his game, his production should skyrocket. Turns 23 in October, so there's still time for him to work on it... and if he can... well former 22nd rounder Mike Fiers seems to have a couple fans around, doesn't he? 42. Adam Giacalone: 2012 11th rounder has hit Pioneer League pitching well so far, but he's also struck out a lot. As a college draftee, success in Helena shouldn't get anyone too excited, but a .350+ AVG to this point is still impressive. 43. Tyler Wagner: It appears that this year's 4th rounder is still building up arm strength to continue to work as a SP, but still -- an ERA just south of 7 in the Pioneer League for a 4th rounder out of college is disappointing. Here's an excerpt from the PG scouting report on him: "The rangy 6-foot-3, 195-pound Wagner has an explosive arm with a fastball that frequently touches 95 mph and gets on hitters quickly from a three-quarters slot. He also has a second plus pitch in a power slider, giving him two weapons needed to excel as a closer. Wagner had only two saves in 17 appearances in early May, though as his opportunity to close out games was limited. At the same time, Wagner struggles to throw strikes consistently, which led to a 2-5, 3.98 record, while walking 21 and striking out 29 in 32 innings" 44. Malcolm Dowell: Still not much scouting info out there on him. Physically he's pretty impressive (6'0"/190 listed), but he hasn't been able to translate that into driving the ball yet. Even with roughly a 100-point difference in OPS, he really hasn't produced much differently at the plate this season so far (.684 OPS, 108 AB) than last (.590, 110 AB). The joy of small samples. When I look at this guy, I think of D'Vontrey Richardson (Dowell also played HS football, though wasn't as highly-regarded as D'Vo), except that the Brewers got him out of H.S. & not college, so he has a lot more time to develop. Good athlete, high upside, very raw This is his age-19 season. 45. Jesus Sanchez: Burgos-esque season for this reliever. Not on the 40-man roster, but I don't see how he's not called up come September. 46. Nick Ramirez: A good example of why you can't get too excited about college guys posting good Pioneer Lg. stats, Ramirez has posted a better but similar slash line to teammate Yadi Rivera... also similarly bad K/BB ratio. There's legit power here, but the hit tool & plate discipline need more work. 45. Stosh Wawrzasek: Stosh's 'stache alone should probably bump him up a few spots. He's been lights-out this season with the T-Rats, but didn't fare well in a short stint with BC. He'll likely be repeating at BC next season. 46. Max Walla: Made big strides with Helena last season, but has posted a nearly identical slash line in '12 to his '10 output. If 2010-->'11 is any indication, Walla will repeat at Wisconsin & hit. Time will tell, but you'd like to get more out of a 2nd round pick. Strong dude... if he can improve his hit tool, he could fly up this list, because the power will be there. 47. Santo Manzanillo: Just a sad turn of events for him this past offseason, especially after he lost 2009 to TJ surgery. Hang in there & get strong again, Santo. 48. Carlos Pena: 19-yo catcher who's displayed power in the DSL. I have no idea how he is defensively, but a backstop with pop always catches my eye (ugh, forgive the unintended pun). 49. Francisco Castillo: I honestly have no idea if he belongs on this list or not. Good SB success rate, switch hitter, MIF. That's about all I know. 50. Andres Martinez: I wanted to include him on my P50 because, much like Jose Pena, he's a big dude (6'2"/188 listed) who's been promoted by the org. despite not posting impressive slash lines. The Brewers appear to see something in Martinez like they did in Pena, so I'm going to believe them.

I'm so envious. Thank you for sharing, and I sure hope Fiers can put his last start behind him for Saturday's game!

Comments 1. Jean Segura: I really like Tedaladtada's description: "Reminds me of a pre-injuries Furcal with a touch less usable speed and arm." He certainly looks to be built more sturdily than Furcal, which could be both an asset & liability. His approach at the plate right now reminds me a little of Lucroy's when Jon was first called up... straight from AA no less. I think Segura will be markedly improved at the plate in 2013, and it will be directly due to getting called up this season & getting comfortable in the bigs. 2. Wily Peralta:-I think TC07's note on Gindl, about a player scuffling while repeating a level at which he excelled the season prior, could help explain Wily's early-season WOAHs. What we've seen since then is the pitcher everyone thought Peralta was. Time to get him up and broken in at the big-league level. 3. Tyler Thornburg: After making light earlier this season of the prospect-watching opinion that TT might have to work out of the bullpen, I can see where it comes from. However, I feel like I see some Dave Bush... with a tick more velocity & slightly better stuff, and a guy who could wind up anywhere from #3-#5 in the rotation. If he winds up a bullpen arm, he should be a good one. 4. Victor Roache: This is a guy, pre-wrist-injury, who was getting mocked in the top 10 of the 2012 draft. He struggled in the Cape Cod league (wood bats) last summer against breaking balls, but the power potential is undeniable and impressive. Wrist injuries can be tough to recover from, but obviously I'm betting he will. 5. Jimmy Nelson: Scouts love his stuff, and it's hard to disagree. If he learns to command his repertoire consistently, the upside could be a #2 or even #1 if he just explodes. Not young for his level, but he's made good progress. 6. Johnny Hellweg: I love this arm, but tall pitchers reportedly (as I am no expert) tend to struggle more with mechanics. Still, give me upper-90s heat with a good slider, makings of a changeup, and strong groundball tendencies any day of the week. Time for him to get some Tunnell-vision. 7. Ariel Pena: Showed continued strides in '12, on the heels of his progress in '11, prior to getting traded from the only organization he's known... for 5.5 seasons. I'm guessing getting away from familiar surroundings & coaching has something to do with his inconsistency with Huntsville so far. Still very high on him. 8. Hunter Morris: I considered having him lower, since this is just one season. But the reports on his work ethic/'makeup' & improvements in basically all facets of his game has me on board. I think what the Brewers plan to do with Corey Hart could well wind up being tied to whether or not Morris has improved beyond just 2012. 9. Scooter Gennett: Just. Keeps. Hitting. Defense has reportedly improved, though from an outsider's p.o.v. it still looks like a work in progress. With Weeks under salary control through 2015, there's plenty of time for Scooter to keep getting reps in the minors. 10. Taylor Jungmann: I want to have him higher, I really do. Severe H/R ERA splits this season were one reason I couldn't bring myself to bump him higher. Good to see him succeeding, & hope he can translate it to AA next season. 11. Mark Rogers: I want to have him higher, I really do. I believe it's telling that Mark has gotten good results overall so far as a big-leaguer, and there's no question about his arm & stuff being MLB-worthy. But to quote Yoda, "Control, control -- you must learn control!" Obviously health is a big issue here, too. Almost seems like he has the same snakebite Ben Sheets had... *ducks* 12. Clint Coulter: If he develops into a viable C defender, a la SFG's Tommy Joseph, Coulter could easily jump to my #1 spot before long. A project here, but the upside is off the charts; already showing good development. 13. Tyrone Taylor: Good thing I complained about this pick. Seriously, I think I would've preferred to see a different selection at his pick, but Tyrone has done nothing but start cooking up some crow for me. His performance thus far has been stellar. 14. Cameron Garfield: I had him higher initially, but backed off a bit since he's age-appropriate for A- and he's repeating the level. Still, his tools were highly-regarded enough to go in Round 2 in 2009, and he's hit extremely well this year. Similar to Gennett, with Lucroy in Milwaukee for the forseeable future, there's no need for him to hurry up & move up the ladder. 15. Jorge Lopez: Disappointing that he was sent to the DSL, but iirc Mass Haas speculated it could've been for language/education reasons as much as on-field reasons. In his two most recent starts for the Cerveceritos, he's flashed the ability that got him drafted in 2011's 2nd round (10.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K). 16. Orlando Arcia: I really just know almost nothing about Arcia (as is the case with all the DSL guys), so it's hard for me to rank him any higher after just one good season in the DSL. Still, a SS that produces like he did is hard to ignore. 17. Mitch Haniger: I didn't love this draft pick, either, but similar to Taylor, he came out of the gates & produced. About the same age as Garfield, and hit to similar success before partially tearing the PCL in his left knee. 18. Khris Davis: Another guy I wanted to have higher... and probably should've. Khrush just does what the nickname implies... ball go far. I think he'll find a home in someone's big-league OF, just not sure it'll be Milwaukee's. Very possible trade chip this offseason. 19. Chris McFarland: An over-slot signee from the draft that was the swan-song for classic over-slot signings, he's hit well as a 19-yo in Helena in his pro debut season. Needs to cut down on the K's & drive the ball for XBHs more often, and if he can do that, you're looking at an extremely legit 2B/IF prospect. 20. Logan Schafer: I think TC07's note on Gindl, about a player scuffling while repeating a level at which he excelled the season prior, could help explain... He's really struggled in the second half, but has started hitting again of late. His production isn't buoyed by the west-coast PCL parks, as his home OPS is significantly better -- but the flip-side is he didn't feast in the hitters' parks. I think we know what we have in Schafer, and that's a LH swinging 4th OF with excellent defense in CF. He's certainly a guy who could progress into a legit CF starter in the right MLB circumstances, but he doesn't look like a good bet to fare well v. big-league LHPs. 21. Taylor Green: Hard for me to be too critical of Green. Imo he was in a lose-lose situation this season whether he repeated AAA or rode the pine for Roenicke. I've been saying for a while now that I think he's going to be a solid-swinging LH 2B/3B/1B/PH utility IF, and that I think he carries a lot of value in that role. I'd love to see him as part of the MLB bench going forward. Possesses more pop than he's shown so far in the bigs; good-looking bat speed. A comp. I've used is former Cub Mike Fontenot, but more power. 22. Caleb Gindl: I think TC07's note on Gindl, about a player scuffling while repeating a level at which he excelled the season prior, could help explain... Since this is his 6th season in the org., it's easy to forget he still hasn't turned 24. I feel like he's an OF version of Green, and certainly has gotten enough reps in CF to be at least usable at all three OF spots. Definite bench OF/PH candidate for the big club going forward. 23. Nick Bucci: The organization seems very high on Nick. He's adorable. He's produced. What else do you want? In all seriousness, I hope his road back from the biceps tendonitis setback continues to be smooth. Even without top-of-rotation-caliber stuff, his production so far & respect from the org. are hard to ignore. Still just 22 years old. 24. Hiram Burgos: Even without a stellar scouting report or MiLB career heading into this season, Burgos's 2012 has made him impossible to ignore. At 26, he hasn't flown through the system, but at this point he's looking likely to be on the shortlist for AAA pitching callups in 2013. 25. Jose Pena: It says a lot about what the Brewers think of Pena that he was promoted stateside after posting a .655 OPS in '10 and a .565 OPS in '11. It also underscores the point that we just don't know much of anything about DSL prospects until they make it to the U.S. Pena is proving the org.'s faith to be well-placed, and has earned a well-deserved promotion to Helena in his age-19 season. This is already a big young man (6'2"/192 is what's listed) who should project to add more bulk to his frame & power to his game as he progresses. A .299 AVG, 9 2B, 7 3B, & 5 HR in 167 ABs with the AZL Brewers sure seem to suggest he was hitting the ball with authority. Not a bad start in Huntsville, either, with a longball in his first PA. This is another guy who could absolutely fly up the P50. I'll get to comments on the next 25 tomorrow or so. This is a mega-post as it is, and it's late. I'm sure everyone will be eagerly anticipating...

2nd GS of his career... both this season. Went well over 3,000 PAs in his career without hitting one, and just like that -- two in one season. I love baseball.

Montgomery 4, @Huntsville 3 (10 innings) Huntsville Box Another strong outing by Josh Stinson, along with solo HRs in the 6th from Scooter Gennett and Hunter Morris, had the Stars in front 3-2 heading into the 8th inning. Unfortunately, the bullpen WOAHs apparently trickled their way down to Huntsville, as the Biscuits tied the game on an unearned run in the 8th, and went ahead for good with another single run in the 10th. Montgomery has taken the first three games of this five-game set. Booo! Gennett extended his hitting streak to 11 games with another multi-hit game; just one of the 11 games in the streak hasn't been of the multi-hit variety. Scooter also committed an error, throwing the back end of an attempted double play turn in the 7th out of play. It really should be noted that the off-day manager Darnell Coles gave Scooter back on 8/4 seems to be just what the doctor ordered. 8/5 was game one of this hitting streak. Melvin spoke very highly of Coles in a recent Huntsville Times article Kentrail Davis was the only other Star with two hits... good to see him have a better game -- he'd gone 5-27 (.185) in his previous eight contests. After Stinson went 7 strong innings on 95 pitches, southpaw Brian Garman was called in to start the 8th, as Montgomery's first two batters were lefties. He retired the first batter (Montgomery's leadoff hitter), but the next batter dropped down a bunt single & advanced to second base on a throwing error by catcher Adam Weisenburger. Garman was removed from the game, but it looks like the plan may have been for him to just face those first two batters anyway, as the next two Biscuits hitters were righties. Darren Byrd came on and got the first batter he faced to ground out. Unfortunately, Montgotmery got a two-out single to tie the game 3-3... although Byrd got the next batter to end the frame. Byrd worked a perfect 9th (two K's and a soft groundout), and Kyle Heckathorn took over for the 10th. After retiring the first two batters, Heckathorn allowed a single, stolen base, and another single to plate the game's decisive run. The Stars went down in order in the bottom of the 10th, just as they had in the 8th & 9th, and technically the 7th (more on that in the PbP section). T.J. Mittelstaedt: 0-5 Hainley Statia: 1-4, 2B Gennett: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, E (throwing) Andy Gonzalez: 1-4 Morris: 1-4, HR, RBI Brock Kjeldgaard: 0-3, BB, CS Davis: 2-4 Lee Haydel: 1-4 Weisenburger: 0-2, SAC, E (throwing), 1/2 throwing out SB attempts Prince: 0-1 (PH for Weisenburger in 10th) Stinson: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K, PO, 13:1 GO:AO Garman: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Byrd: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Heckathorn: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 0 K Huntsville PbP Both of Gennett's hits tonight were RBI swings: Huntsville Bottom of the 1st -T. J. Mittelstaedt strikes out on a foul tip. -Hainley Statia doubles (8) on a ground ball to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. -Scooter Gennett singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ty Morrison. Hainley Statia scores. -With Andy Gonzalez batting, throwing error by Matt Buschmann on the pickoff attempt, Scooter Gennett to 3rd. -Andy Gonzalez strikes out swinging. -Hunter Morris pops out to shortstop Shawn O'Malley. The Stars got burned on a double-steal attempt in the 2nd, and wound up coming away with nothin': Huntsville Bottom of the 2nd -Brock Kjeldgaard walks. -Kentrail Davis singles on a ground ball to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. Brock Kjeldgaard to 2nd. -With Lee Haydel batting, Brock Kjeldgaard caught stealing 3rd base, catcher Mayo Acosta to third baseman Omar Luna, Kentrail Davis to 2nd. -Lee Haydel strikes out swinging. -Adam Weisenburger grounds out, second baseman Derek Dietrich to first baseman Michael Sheridan. Especially after Montgomery took a one-run lead on a solo shot in the 5th, the two-run, go-ahead 6th must've been a very welcome shot of adrenaline for a Stars offense that had sputtered in innings 2 through 5: Huntsville Bottom of the 6th -Scooter Gennett homers (4) on a fly ball to right field. -Andy Gonzalez grounds out, first baseman Michael Sheridan to pitcher Matt Buschmann. -Hunter Morris homers (23) on a fly ball to left center field. -Brock Kjeldgaard grounds out, shortstop Shawn O'Malley to first baseman Michael Sheridan. -Kentrail Davis strikes out swinging. As I alluded to earlier, the 7th inning was unkind to the Stars as they chased a tack-on run. Good speed on second base, line drive off the bat of Mittelstaedt, and... nothin': Huntsville Bottom of the 7th -Lee Haydel singles on a bunt ground ball to pitcher Matt Buschmann. -Adam Weisenburger out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Matt Buschmann to second baseman Derek Dietrich. Lee Haydel to 2nd. -Pitching Change: Chris Rearick replaces Matt Buschmann. -T. J. Mittelstaedt lines into a double play, second baseman Derek Dietrich to shortstop Shawn O'Malley. Lee Haydel doubled off 2nd. Huntsville Gameday

Wipe them out. All of them.

1. Jean Segura 2. Wily Peralta 3. Tyler Thornburg 4. Victor Roache 5. Jimmy Nelson 6. Johnny Hellweg 7. Ariel Pena 8. Hunter Morris 9. Scooter Gennett 10. Taylor Jungmann 11. Mark Rogers 12. Clint Coulter 13. Tyrone Taylor 14. Cameron Garfield 15. Jorge Lopez 16. Orlando Arcia 17. Mitch Haniger 18. Khris Davis 19. Chris McFarland 20. Logan Schafer 21. Taylor Green 22. Caleb Gindl 23. Nick Bucci 24. Hiram Burgos 25. Jose Pena 26. Drew Gagnon 27. Jed Bradley 28. Cody Scarpetta 29. Damien Magnifico 30. Gian Rizzo 31. Ruben Ozuna 32. Carlos Belonis 33. Angel Ortega 34. Edgardo Rivera 35. Zach Quintana 36. T.J. Mittelstaedt 37. Josh Prince 38. Kentrail Davis 39. Yadiel Rivera 40. Jason Rogers 41. Ben McMahan 42. Adam Giacalone 43. Tyler Wagner 44. Malcolm Dowell 45. Jesus Sanchez 46. Nick Ramirez 45. Stosh Wawrzasek 46. Max Walla 47. Santo Manzanillo 48. Carlos Pena 49. Francisco Castillo 50. Andres Martinez

The Post-Crescent ran a story not too long ago around the time of Marcum's first rehab start. Naturally, Mass Haas included it in the Link Report. The headline was "Marcum doubts he will be a Brewer past this season", but it never included a quote with him saying that. The closest you get is: If you're going to run with that headline, presumably not attributing a quote to Marcum that he didn't say, I'd assume Marcum said he doubted he'd be a Brewer on the record... so why not include the quote? I understand that it's fairly likely that he's not back for 2013, but nothing in that article is more than just Marcum talking about the situation as it stands... not overtly stating he's unlikely to be back.

I'd appreciate someone taking Huntsville this Saturday (8/18) night. I'm going to the Brewers game & won't be getting home until pretty late.

I'd also like to add that after about 30 minutes, I have my top three sorted out. I have a pretty good idea of the next 10-15 guys, but no idea how to rank them ahead of & behind one another.

A post somewhere else on BF (can't recall where, sorry) basically asked about the 2013 draft class, and in working on my own P50 list this afternoon, I got to wondering about it as well. I wanted to link to a few sites' rankings of the '13 eligible players, but ... not surprisingly... most of that is subscriber-only content. However, John Sickels did a "very preliminary and just a rough ranking" in late June, and it's free content. So I hope that can get discussion started. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/6/26/3117536/2013-mlb-draft-just-getting-started

Not saying I believe there's anything to worry about here, but he does actually have a pretty significant home/road OPS split -- 1.014/.796. In fact, his h/r slash lines make Joe Davis Stadium look like it's Coors Field Jr. (.341 home AVG/.263 road) EDIT: Ugh, I hadn't noticed this before, but Gennett, Prince, & Davis all have pretty extreme h/r splits as well (favoring home, I mean). I don't recall J.D. Stadium being regarded as a hitter's park, can anyone weigh in on that?

I want to know where that dream world you live in is. Gamel is an unproven 1b in his late 20's coming off a serious injury. His value was fairly high at one time but that was 2009. I'm not even sure its enough for a proven reliever with a moderate contract, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Kottaras got them a AAA longshot. Your expert call to release Rickie Weeks has me convinced you couldn't possibly be wrong about this

Andy Pettitte wasn't suspended, but admitted using PEDs... but iirc he said something like, 'sorry I took PEDs to try & help rehab faster so I could get back to help my team.'

To be fair, outside of Helena, Burgos hadn't 'delivered' prior to 2012. Not trying to dump on the guy, though.

Montgomery 9, @Huntsville 6 Huntsville Box Going to keep this brief tonight. Ariel Pena was awful tonight. He gave up a grand slam as part of a 6-run 1st, and had obvious command problems. He was lifted with two outs in the 2nd, after giving up another run. He finished with a line of: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R/ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HBP, 2:1 GO:AO. After a Domnit Bolivar solo HR in the 3rd made the score 7-1, the Stars pulled to within two runs with a 4-run 4th. Brock Kjeldgaard did the big damage, with a 3-run shot to center. Unfortunately, Huntsville was held scoreless until the 9th, when they managed a single run. Kjeldgaard made the final out with two men on base, but obviously I don't mean to dump on the guy... just to provide context. R.J. Seidel was a key performer in relief of Pena, getting the final out of the 2nd & then posting three straight shutout innings. It appears that Dan Meadows was ejected after the end of the top of the 8th, but thanks to MiLB's cryptic game logs, we may never know the true story... Meadows allowed the Biscuits' two single tack-on runs in the 6th & 8th innings; the run in the 8th was unearned. Philippe Valiquette worked a perfect 9th inning thanks to two groundball outs and a called strike three to end the frame. Josh Prince: 1-4, BB, PO, OF assist Hainley Statia: 1-5 Scooter Gennett: 2-5, E (fielding) -- another multi-hit game extends his hitting streak to 10 games Andy Gonzalez: 2-3, RBI, 2 BB Hunter Morris: 3-5, RBI -- good to see Morris bounce back with a good game, he'd gone 1-20 in his last five games Kjeldgaard: 1-5, HR, 3 RBI, OF assist Kentrail Davis: 0-4 Bolivar: 1-3, HR, RBI, BB Adam Weisenburger: 0-4 Huntsville PbP The Stars had their chances to get back in this game & come up with multiple runs in the 5th, 7th, & 9th, but weren't able to come up with the timely two-out hits they needed: Huntsville Bottom of the 5th -Josh Prince singles on a line drive to center fielder Ty Morrison. -Hainley Statia grounds into a double play, third baseman Omar Luna to second baseman Derek Dietrich to first baseman Michael Sheridan. Josh Prince out at 2nd. -Scooter Gennett singles on a ground ball to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. -Andy Gonzalez walks. Scooter Gennett to 2nd. -Hunter Morris singles on a ground ball to first baseman Michael Sheridan. Scooter Gennett to 3rd. Andy Gonzalez to 2nd. -Brock Kjeldgaard strikes out swinging. Huntsville Bottom of the 7th -Josh Prince flies out to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. -Hainley Statia singles on a fly ball to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. -Scooter Gennett strikes out swinging. -Andy Gonzalez singles on a line drive to left fielder Brett Nommensen. Hainley Statia to 2nd. -Hunter Morris pops out to second baseman Derek Dietrich. Huntsville Bottom of the 9th -Pitching Change: Marquis Fleming replaces C. J. Riefenhauser. -Josh Prince reaches on a fielding error by third baseman Omar Luna. -Hainley Statia called out on strikes. -With Scooter Gennett batting, Josh Prince advances to 2nd on defensive indifference. -Scooter Gennett flies out to left fielder Brett Nommensen. -Andy Gonzalez singles on a line drive to center fielder Ty Morrison. Josh Prince scores. -Hunter Morris singles on a ground ball to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. Andy Gonzalez to 2nd. -Brock Kjeldgaard grounds out, shortstop Shawn O'Malley to first baseman Michael Sheridan. Huntsville Gameday

That's an interesting angle to consider. However, if it were me in the position of making tons of dough to play in MLB, I'd make sure to run things by someone who'd be able to verify what substances were good or not. I know it's a cynical reaction to the language barrier point to say this, but it doesn't sway me. I do feel oddly conflicted about this suspension, even though logically I know I shouldn't. I think seeing how Braun has been treated by many fans ('blind hate' is a phrase that would fit, imo) makes me pause a little before just hating/booing a player.

You think that was work? My personal P50 list is making my head spin. This system is incredibly deep with interesting guys. Tons of B-/C+ guys and a good handful of B prospects. Just trying to figure out where Jed Bradley belongs is maddening. Ugh... I haven't even really started mine yet, just because I know it's going to be ridiculously difficult.

Wow, the amount of work that went into that post... nice work Tedaldtada.

Montgomery 4, @Huntsville 1 Huntsville Box Montgomery got an inside-the-park HR in the top of the 1st, but a strong outing by Stars starter Johnnie Lowe kept the score at 1-0 heading into the 7th. Johnny Hellweg took over in relief... and promptly gave up a 2B, followed by a 1B, to extend the Biscuits' lead to 2-0. Fortunately, the Stars caught the 1B hitter trying for a 2B & put him out in a rundown between first & second for the first out of the inning. Hellweg issued a BB to the next batter, followed by a 1B. He then induced a popout in the infield, and struck out the next batter to escape the 7th with allowing just a single run. Hellweg stayed in for the 8th, which he started with a BB and successful SB with the next batter at the plate. However, he then induced a swinging K followed by two groundouts to get through the inning unscathed. After a solo HR from T.J. Mittelstaedt cut the deficit to one run, Brian Garman came on to work the 9th. He put the first two batters he faced down via a K and a groundout. Unfortunately, he then yielded a 1B & a 2B... which were followed by a fielding error that allowed both runners to score and push Montgomery's lead back to three runs. As was the story for the game, the Stars' offense couldn't come up with the runs to get the W. Mittelstaedt: 2-5, HR, RBI Hainley Statia: 0-4 Scooter Gennett: 2-4 Andy Gonzalez: 1-3, BB Hunter Morris: 0-4 Brock Kjeldgaard: 1-4, 2B Kentrail Davis: 1-4 Josh Prince: 1-4 Anderson De La Rosa: 1-4, 3B Lowe: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HBP, 5:4 GO:AO Hellweg: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 2 K Garman: 1 IP, 2 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K -Gennett extended his hitting streak to 9 games, and has hit .487 (18-37) so far over that stretch Huntsville PbP Huntsville squandered a good chance to score in the 2nd: Huntsville Bottom of the 2nd -Brock Kjeldgaard doubles (6) on a line drive to left fielder Brett Nommensen. -Kentrail Davis called out on strikes. -Josh Prince lines out to left fielder Brett Nommensen. -Anderson De La Rosa flies out to center fielder Ty Morrison. ... and again in the 5th: Huntsville Bottom of the 5th -Anderson De La Rosa triples (2) on a fly ball to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. -T. J. Mittelstaedt grounds out sharply, second baseman Derek Dietrich to first baseman Greg Sexton. -Hainley Statia reaches on a fielder's choice out, second baseman Derek Dietrich to catcher Mark Thomas. Anderson De La Rosa out at home. -Scooter Gennett flies out to left fielder Brett Nommensen. They threatened in the bottom of the 9th, but weren't able to deliver: Huntsville Bottom of the 9th -Defensive Substitution: Michael Sheridan replaces first baseman Greg Sexton, batting 7th, playing first base. -Pitching Change: Kirby Yates replaces Chris Rearick. -Brock Kjeldgaard called out on strikes. -Kentrail Davis singles on a line drive to center fielder Ty Morrison. -Josh Prince singles on a ground ball to right fielder Mikie Mahtook. Kentrail Davis to 2nd. -Anderson De La Rosa strikes out swinging. -T. J. Mittelstaedt strikes out swinging. Huntsville Gameday

July 17th Link Report Helena I don't think this can be overstated -- you rock, Jim. Unreal dedication & excellence.