MTBrew

TheCrew07, Guess I would beg to differ with you about Helena "sucks". Have you been to the ballpark here? If not, what you won't find is a cookie cutter concrete slab, corporate excesses, whiz bang electronics or security issues. What is here is a historical era wooden stadium in a small town setting. The seats are close to the action, there is shade, the players are accessible and you can park for free! The ownership and the city (it's city owned) have done a pretty darn good job in making improvements, including lighting, rebuilding the infield and clubhouses. Can they do more? Sure. Now, having said that, I would welcome Brewer organization ownership. The front office here is old and stale and doesn't understand what they have or the fan base. I do know that the organization likes Helena, in large part because it is a small town. It is safe for the players, there is excellent support from the booster club and the players can concentrate on the game. Maybe it's a demographic thing, as I grew up going to Wrigley, old Comiskey and Tiger stadium but going to a game here is pure baseball joy. But as "they" say YMMV, however I would think most fans of the game would enjoy the atmosphere in Helena.

Having watched both of Demuth's stints in Helena, I would have to say that he was right about where one would expect a 4 year college senior to be. He more than held his own but I cannot say that he "shined" or was too advanced for the league. He can play adequate 3B and has a nice swing but very little power was shown. Having watched Cirillo when he came thru Helena, no comparison. Cirillo was a man among boys at this level and I was not surprised to see the success he had. Having also watched Brennan here, I would say that he has much more an upside. Better athlete, stronger arm, much more power potential than Demuth. It is a matter of Brennan putting it together, time will tell. Not to say either that Demuth won't make it, nice ball player, but I would be surprised if he did.

Always a sad day, especially having seen these young men come through Helena. I understand Hinojosa was old for this level. However he has been one of the few latin players here with a real handle on all facets of the game. I think he could be a terrific coach and hope the organization sees that as well. I am a little surprised with the Williams release, he being only 19. Very good outfielder with a strong accurate arm. Perhaps the power just wasn't there, still another year couldn't have cost much. Hillis is really a mystery, he was lights out while in Helena.

Demuth got yanked. He stood in the box, watched his ball slice down the 3B line and didn't start running until the ball landed in fair territory. He did tho, turn it into a double. To be fair, I am not sure why Diggs took this time to make a statement. Neuhaus did something similar in the first game and Demuth always pretty much dogs it to 1B on infield outs. That being said, the team seemed to respond and hustled and played hard all game long.

Been an abysmal season in Helena. May be the worst team in at least a decade. Diaz is the bright spot. Has pop in his bat, and can really run down ball in CF. Matos has been a pleasant surprise as well. He has a long way to go if 3B is to be his position, he is adequate at 1B. I don't see Aviles sticking at SS, lack of range and very average glove. Worth a try at 3B? I like Castillo and Munoz too, but they are probably a little old for this league and to be considered prospects. Same for Cleary and McCall. I have never understood the Brewer's minor league philosophy. The kids that can play are obvious and need to be moved up and challenged early in their career (ala Denson). The ones that can't or are organization fodder need to be cut loose. I know that sounds harsh but I have seen very little developmental success at this level. Too many on this years Helena squad did nothing to be excited about while in the AZL or DSL.

The Helena kids deserved better in this one. They battled back and played pretty good ball, only to see it slip away due to poor bullpen management. Talk about "development", the 9th would have been an excellent time to bring in a closer. Instead Diggs threw Moore out there to start his third inning and left him in there when he had obviously lost his stuff. Discouraging.

Great story!! Couldn't have happened for a better cat, the ever humble Zelous. Thanks for posting Mass

Diggs ran Helena out of this game. I don't know if stealing bases is now a front office philosophy or if Diggs thinks he has a team of speedsters (which he doesn't) but the second inning was bad game calling. Neither Sharkey nor Munoz had a chance against the left-handed Freudenberg, neither could get a decent lead off of 1B and neither were even close to being safe at 2B. I have seen some improvement of Diggs with his in-game management but stealing bases isn't one of them. In 16 games Helena has 15 CS vs 19 SB. Props to Zelous for the call up ... never should have been released.

I am excited seeing Neuhaus in Helena. Despite a poor box score last night, he did not look over-matched at the plate and is a very good athlete. Good frame, with a build that he can add muscle to as he matures. Definitely a lot of upside. Looking forward to D Williams tonight too.

Mass, the Helena game was broadcast on KBLL-AM 1240 tonight. Caught me off guard too. Dustin Daniels claimed on-air that the games were being aired on both KCAP and KBLL (they are sister stations), apparently not? I sure hope the internet feed isn't lost for you folks from out of the area. There are a lot of loose ends floating around the Helena front office, not just the radio side of things. I am very surprised that they even started this game, it has been raining almost none stop in Helena for the past 24 hours. It rained continually throughout the game, abet lightly at the start. The infield was playable but the pitchers mound and batters box were awful. But in true baseball fashion, Play Ball! It was opening night so all was good.

Not sure if the MiLB roster is accurate, or maybe there have been some moves but Alan Sharkey has been in Helena this week. Munoz has also been taking some infield at 2B.

LouisEly, interesting observations about the international players. I would say the problem goes beyond scouting and signing. The skill level of the "prospects" that reach Helena is far below that of even the average Pioneer League player. These players may have a "tool" but are far over matched in the rest of the game and are quickly left behind. I really question the training and coaching they are receiving, almost all of these young men have come up thru Arizona and their respective countries academies. They need to be better prepared and skilled in basic fundamentals. And someone in the front office needs to be more realistic about the skills these players have. But, maybe that is the way of the international program - sign a bunch of players for cheap, throw them into the fire and hope somebody makes it. Seems to me a waste of money and is a lousy way to treat these kids.

Tough day indeed for these kids, all played in Helena at one time. I am most surprised to see Harris on this list. Terrific athlete, clutch hitter, I thought he might have a shot with a move to 2B.

A questionable line-up card and un-creative game calling by T Diggs cost the Brewers. Highlight of the night for Helena was Elvin Nina getting ejected. Good pitching by the Chukars - 16 K's!

Helena wins 7 - 5, to stay alive for deciding game tomorrow. Big first inning, 6 runs, and Taylor Williams, with the start, pitches 6 innings giving up 1 run. T Diggs really mixed up the line up and it paid off. Box - http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2013_09_16_idarok_helrok_1&t=g_box&did=milb&sid=t433

Helena wins 8-6 to advance to championship series. Very very good job by Razo in relief of Astin to settle things down. Albury and Poppe excellent as well. Alexander lights out for 1.2 IP, nasty curve and wicked slider, K'ed 4 of the 5 he faced. The bats never gave up and ground this one out.

Interesting starting line-up for game 1. I like what Tony Diggs is doing, not the best "D" but still pretty good.

Winning this series is going to be a tall order for Helena. I don't believe that they were employing a "rope a dope" strategy in dropping the final four games vs Great Falls. The way they played in that series was very indicative of their second half - they barely played .500 ball. This is a team with a lot of holes, starting with the pitching. Too many walks, too many WP's, too many runs allowed by relievers, no dominate starter. I think that Diggs will need to use the entire pitching staff, even it it means guys only going 1, 2 or 3 innings.I guess we will see if they are playing to win or playing for development. Depending on the lineup, the defense could be below average. And worse the club is not playing good fundamental ball right now - the base running is atrocious, not knowing how many outs, missing the cut-off man, lack of focus, etc. I don't lay all of this on the coaching staff but this team did not get better through out the season. Helena got hot at different times this summer on the back of their bats. When they were hitting with confidence it rubbed off on the entire team, the "D" was better as was the pitching. This is what they will need to do to compete with Great Falls. I don't think Great Falls has more talent than does Helena but they are playing much better ball and make fewer mistakes.

I will throw this out there, maybe helpful as people are putting together their Power 50. Here are my top 10 from Helena 2013, I think all of these players have at least one MLB quality tool right now, the question is if they can develop their overall game. 1. D. Houle - C, tremendous defensive presence, strong accurate arm, improving at the plate. 2. T. Brennan - 3B, very very good at the corner, strong arm, has power, takes walks, good slugging and OBP. 3. C. Coulter - C, can flat out hit, needs to develop as a catcher, very projectable as he matures. 4. T. Williams - P, hard heavy fastball, power arm. 5. T. Alexander - P, excellent command, very good curve, developing slider. 6. O. Garcia - OF, ++ speed, gets on base, can hold his own in the field, something isn't quite clicking tho. 7. T. Archer - P, throws 3 pitches, gets ground balls, big frame, competes, smart. 8. J. Harris - IF, excellent glove, excellent athlete, developing as a hitter, would be a find if he can stick at 2B. 9. A. Ortega - SS, ++ glove, very good defensively, knows the game, bat is questionable. 10. M.Ratterree - OF, very good overall game. Next level will tell, a lot of guys like him have come thru this league.

Helena wins 3-2 in first meeting of the season vs Grand Junction. Only 4 hits for Helena but a 2 run shot by Ratterree in the 1st and a solo blast by Brennan in the 3rd account for all the scoring. Angel Ortega, with a pair of singles, had the other 2 hits. Taylor Williams got the start and looked good going 4 innings with 4K's and 0BB. Santiago pick up the win with 3 1/3 innings of 1 hit ball, although he yielded 3BB's. Hillis with the save in a strong 1 2/3 with 2K's. No web gems tonight, just a well played game by both clubs. Box - http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2013_08_17_gjrrok_helrok_1&t=g_box&did=milb&sid=t433 Recap - http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2013_08_17_gjrrok_helrok_1&t=g_log&sid=t433

I have been watching Giacalone since his return to Helena and see no change in his swing. No doubt he can put the bat on the ball, it's just in the way he swings he generates no power - all upper body. I hope he can figure things out as he has a frame that should translate into more power.

FWIW ... a lot of Brewer brass, including Reid Nichols, at the game in Helena tonight. Also these daily Game Notes are excellent ... http://www.milb.com/documents/8/7/0/54613870/Game_Notes_Billings_July_24_w2wmdfnr.pdf as good as anything I've seen at any level!

Helena wins 13 - 7! Score 8, with 2 outs, in the top of the 9th! 2 run bomb by Giacolone keys the rally.

Just caught all 7 games of the recent home stand vs Idaho Falls and Ogden. Overall impressions - starting pitching has been up and down, the bats keep grinding, the defense is adequate. A couple of things I don't like seeing - too much jawing at the umpires at the plate, shut up and swing the bat! Also, there have been too many times batters have stayed in the box, instead of running down the line, on questionable fair/foul ball calls. Position players have also been guilty of this on defense, not continuing on with the play and standing around waiting for the umpire ruling. Another frustration is seeing guys not running out infield outs or pop flys. Pitching - first off I think some of the starting pitching woes are due to poor pitch selection by the catchers. Too many 1st pitch fastballs being called and the other teams have picked up on this. Houle is most guilty but that probably comes with the territory being as inexperienced as he is. Turay is better, Coulter is definitely missed, they need to bring in a third catcher. -Reyes, hands down has been the best starter! Battles, throws strikes, doesn't walk many, really good start on the 14th. Maybe a little old to be a "prospect". -Brandon Moore, was terrible as a starter 7/9, a little better in relief 7/14, grooves a lot of balls when men are on base. -Albury, nice to see him coming back from injury. Was lights out a couple years ago, regaining form and confidence. -Tanner Poppe, pleasant surprise. Good hard fastball and a nice cutter, gets ground outs. -Taylor Williams, was very very good 7/15, struggled in a start 7/10. Hard heavy 90+ fastball with a quick motion to the plate. Could be very very good when on. -Not sure if Razzo is good or just lucky as he is 5-0, maybe both. Not really a hard thrower but seems to find the K with runners on base, induces ground outs. -Barrett Astin, started 7/15 was better in relief 7/10. Throws a nice fastball and a decent slider, can get the strikeout but seems a lot of balls are hit on the fly to the outfield. Struggles with men on base, or when plays in the field don't go his way, maybe gets down on himself? I don't think he is a big as listed - 6'1"/190, I don't think he will be an innings eater if a starter despite an easy efficient delivery. -Tyler Linehan, walks and lack of control hurt him 7/11, overall a bad first start. -Banda, has pitched better than his record, one bad start has skewed his ERA. Was very good 7/12, with 6 SO and only 2 BB in 6 innings. Gives up hits but seems to work through them. 2nd to Reyes as a starter. -Tristan Archer, has a good fastball, change and decent slider. Pitched well in relief 7/7 getting 3 SO in 3 innings but grooved too many balls in his first start 7/13. Solid build, nice delivery. -Danny Keller, looked good coming back from injury. Not dominant, Raptors put the bat on the ball, but stayed in control and pitched smart. -David Otterman, pitched decently in relief 7/13 after a rough start. Can get the ground out when he keeps the ball low. Big kid, nice delivery, average fastball, good movement with the slider. -Tyler Alexander, impressive in relief, real real good lefty curve and slider with some heat. Attacks hitters works quickly. -Hillis, continues to be dominant, can really throw heat. Can over think and tends to try to be too fine instead of just throwing balls past hitters, willing to throw curve, can be better with improved game calling. -Fasano, struggled 7/12 although has pitched well in previous outings. Generally good command, not overpowering, doesn't walk guys, good GO/FO ratio. Have only seen these guys once - Hobbs Johnson, ground ball lefty, good movement on fastball, got K's when needed, pitched with confidence in first appearance. Encarnacion, tall awkward righty, got the job done in relief 7/11 but I am not sure how. Maybe a long reliever type? Juan Santiago, rough go 7/11, 5 BB, WP in 2 innings. I haven't seen Quintana since 6/25. Position players - the defense overall is ok but other than Brennan now I don't think anyone is MLB or even Pioneer League All Star material. -Omar Garcia appears to have found his footing and is playing much better. There is nothing to his bat but weak singles and bunts but his speed on the bases definitely makes him a factor. A work in progress in the OF, does not get good reads, needs to be more aggressive as a CF. -Finally saw Hinojosa play (3 games) and was pleasantly surprised! Good approach at the plate, disciplined, makes contact, not a free swinger. Solid OF with a decent arm, pretty good speed. Overall a pretty good player, not sure why he doesn't play more. -Jesse Weiss, not sure why he doesn't play at all? Is a hit machine at the plate, solid contact, drives pitches. Seems like a decent athlete, don't know why he has yet to play an inning in the field. -Orf has really been a nice find. Being converted from the OF to 2B has allowed needed flexibility in the IF so Jenkins and Ortega can get a day off or 2 here and there. Not spectacular at 2B but makes the routine plays. Solid at the plate, gets on base. -Harris has done a real nice job at 1B when Cooper was injured/moved up. Very good glove and gives Brennan a spell at 3B. Has made the most of his playing time at the plate and has come up with some big RBI's. Doubles power with good speed on the bases. -I am not excited about Giacalone being back, he looks like the same player as last year. Hopefully he will not take too many reps from Harris. Ortega still not hitting. As I mentioned before with Coulter's injury they really need to bring another catcher up. I like the fact that Tony Diggs is keeping these guys battling and that they are finding ways to win. I would say though that both Idaho Falls and Ogden have more overall talent.

That's a tough deal for Giacalone but you will like Cooper. Unless Giacalone improved his defense considerably from when in Helena Cooper is better. Cooper is also a better hitter with much more power upside. I will be interested to see what this means for Jalen Harris. Harris has done a real good job while Cooper was injured. Excellent defense and has made the most of his opportunities at the plate in the RBI department. Giacalone may hit for a higher average but Harris has more power and is a much better athlete.