MTBrew

For what it's worth I toss out my impressions after the first 6 Helena home games ... First off I will say that the overall talent level this year is much better than in 2011 and 2012. Also the the team appears to have responded well to Tony Diggs and the coaching staff, they are playing relaxed but, as the scoreboard has shown, continue to play hard thru the final out. I am also impressed with Diggs handling of the roster. The higher draft picks are seeing most of the playing time but, unlike other years, the entire roster is being utilized and everyone is playing, if not getting into games for meaningful innings, on a regular basis. I am happy to see this. As for position players, just some observations ... totally agree with Steve Wendt on Dustin Houle - tremendous arm, very good catcher. Emmanuel Quiles from last year had a quicker release but Houle has a powerful throw and is very accurate. Also not afraid to throw behind a runner at 1st or 2nd base. Needs more AB's, will be tough to find playing time behind Coulter, major league arm right now. - Clint Coulter, the real deal, I can understand why he was a #1. His bat is far above this level of ball. Helena is where he needs to be so that he can catch 4 to 5 times a week. Not a bad catcher, just needs to play regularly, good athlete, decent speed, needs to catch until he shows he can't. - Garrett Cooper, very good pick. Quick bat, understands the strike zone, has some power. Solid with the glove, knows how to play 1B. Can add weight to frame, decent speed, decent athlete. Good previous coaching is obvious. - Taylor Brennan, best defensive 3B to come thru Helena in a long time. Excellent glove, strong arm. Power at the plate but needs AB's to become more pitch selective. Young, still a chance to develop but bat is questionable. - Angel Ortega, I don't share Wendt's enthusiasm, not in the same league defensively as Alcides or Yadiel Rivera. Fancy glove on the balls he gets to, but mediocre range and below average arm strength. Hasn't shown he can hit at this level. - Ratterree and Markson, not sure either of these guys are big league talents but can play the game, high baseball IQ, good previous coaching is obvious. Solid defensively with good arms and know how to hit. Ratterree may have the most upside as he has some power but Markson has held his own at CF. Good example as to how close the talent level is between a #10 and a #38 pick. - Omar Garcia, not sure what this pick was all about? Has shown speed on the base paths but little else. I have not been overwhelmed by his OF defense, arm or his ability to cover ground. Has had a rough go at the plate. - Jose Pena, better than last year! Has improved his defense and is now adequate for this level of ball. Has shown power with the bat but still is taking big hacks for the big hit, needs to improve pitch recognition. - Ruben Ozuna on the other hand is still brutal in the field, very poor arm, good athlete but not skilled with the glove. Has some sting with the bat and good speed down the baseline. It is hard not to like these guys but poor previous coaching and fundamentals will limit their upside. I've yet to see Hinojosa play. - Orf, versatile player who has pitch hit and played 2B as needed, solid fundamentally. - Jalen Harris, very very good glove, excellent athlete, has covered both 1B and 3B, needs more playing time to develop, maybe if Cooper is moved up. - Renaldo Jenkins, has been solid at 2B and fill in at SS, has played with more confidence this year, probably because he is starting, bat is improving as well, great teammate. - Turay, another real good guy/teammate, unfortunately he is stuck behind Coulter and Houle at C and Brennan at 3B, has some pop in his bat and gets the timely hit. - Jessie Weiss, have only seen him pitch hit or DH, knows what he is doing at the plate, can hit, has some power. - Pitching for me to too difficult to evaluate. Overall though the staff has been decent and I am impressed that most all work quickly and throw strikes. As of now only Hillis and Quintana have stood out. - Quintana, a real competitor! Mixes up his pitches, throws his fastball, curve and change with confidence. Unfortunately he fooled no one and got hit hard. - Hillis, exactly what you want to see in a closer. Attacks the plate/hitter, throws heat but has a decent curve to keep batters honest, aggressive demeanor. I will try to get a better handle on the pitching after the next home stand.

6:35pm Mountain time start for the Helena game tonight. After game fireworks in Missoula as per Steve Wendt.

As hope springs eternal, I hope that the players that were in Helena last summer got the necessary coaching and attitude adjustments needed to improve their skills. Regarding Giacalone, he can put the bat on the ball. But he never showed any power in Helena, and is at a position that requires it. He was an average, at best, defender at 1B, and I don't think he has the athletic skills to play elsewhere. Reed, was never able to put the bat on the ball solidly. I honestly think he may have had a vision problem. Decent athlete but I don't believe he has the speed or instincts to play CF. Pena, very very raw. Good athlete, swings with power. I thought he was overmatched, in all aspects of the game, while in Helena. Not saying he shouldn't have been there but he needed a lot of coaching, basic fundamentals. Alfredo Rodriguez is not going to make anyone forget Yadiel Rivera, very average, may be below, at SS. May have a future as a UT guy. Very disappointed that Emmanuel Quiles was released. Maybe a little old for Helena but he had an absolute gun of an arm and some pop in his bat. One of the few bright spots in Helena last year. Stosh too, a real gamer. I have been less than impressed with some of the talent that has come thru Helena the past couple of years and continue to scratch my head on who is kept and who is released. On the other hand the T-Rats folks are really going to enjoy McFarland, terrific athlete and comes to play every day. Tyrone too, sweet player with all kinds of skills.

I never look forward to the final game, but this Helena season was absolutely brutal. 24 and 52, the record speaks for itself. I don't blame the players, who for the most part played as well as they could. There needs to be a serious evaluation of what is going on in the front office/organization. This was as bad as anything from the Bando era. - the past 2 years drafts have been poor. Helena clearly had the least talent of all the Pioneer league teams. It is not like this was a very young team stocked with prospects either. Time will tell, but I would be surprised to see even a couple postion players make AA. - a thin roster didn't help. This resultled in guys playing 70+ games, going weeks without a day off, a pitcher in the outfield and a catcher manning 3B, and a severely depleted bullpen. As players moved up, were injured or released the effort to backfill the roster was slow or nonexistent. Certainly there were non drafted or independent league guys worth taking a look at. Is this a money issue? I hope not. - player development at the DSL and in Maryvale. How much training and coaching is going on there? With the exception of Mondesi (who has natural talent) and Hernandez the Helena outfield was embarrassingly bad, far below the Pioneer league norm. Very very raw players who were learning on the job in Helena, should have been receiving daily instruction, drilling and coaching at a different level. Bright spots? Chris McFarland! Head and shoulders above the rest of the team, as good a talent as any prospect in the Pioneer league.

Completely agree with you Mass about speculating. I also question what could have been so egregious to warrant this and why it couldn't have waited? Despite his limited opportunities and production Berard always played hard and appeared to be a good teammate (something I can't say for a couple other players). Not sure what "message" the front office was trying to send but kicking a guy when he is down is the wrong one. This has left a bad taste in my mouth.

The Helena roster is a real mess. Maybe at this point in the season and with their record it doesn't matter. Still, as I fan I would like to see the best players on the field and for them to play competitive baseball. Steve Wendt didn't say much when Turay replaced Bernard at 3B late in the game last night, it certainly couldn't have been for defensive reasons.

I don't have any "inside" info as to the hows and whys of where the Brewers position or place players. About SS and Chris McFarland, I will say that he does not have todays prototypical SS build - long, lean, rangy. That doesn't mean he could not make the plays there, he could, he is that good an athlete and has very good instincts. Just my opinion, but I think the decision to have him at 2B is a good one. He is somewhat new to the game and instead of bouncing him around different positions (ie. see Cutter Dykstra) having him focus and learn one - 2B, is the correct call. I guess the question is, is SS a more premium position than 2B? I don't know, but seems to me that developing a MLB ballplayer is what its all about, regardless of the position. A comment about Josh Prince, I am not suprised he was moved off of SS. He is quick and has a decent arm (threw sidearm a lot) but his fielding was not that good. He did not move his feet, get into position and did not get in front of balls. He would get close and then just stab at balls. I thought as he moved up he would get the infield coaching he needed and get better. I haven't seen him since he left Helena but it sounds like he plateaued out at SS.

YoungGeezy, You probably know much more about Ozuna and Martinez than I do, and I am curious on your analysis as well. But here are my thoughts ... Martinez have been a very pleasant surprise. A big guy, who is a bit mechanical at times and while not athletic makes the plays at 3B on the balls he gets to. A great arm, he effortlessly makes the 3B - 1B throw and is very accurate and strong. He seems to know what he is doing at the plate, not up there hacking. Has a nice level stroke and generates power thru his lower body. The HR he hit last night was really crushed, no fluke about it, the longest ball hit by a Brewer to LF I have seen in a long time, easily 400+ feet. Another plus thing is that he is involved with the game and is into each play, situational awareness is high. Seems like a smart kid, not sure of his age but appears physically mature. I hope he gets the majority of 3B time thru the rest of the season, not sure why he has played so sporatically. Ozuna has played very little this year. Last year, before he was hurt, I would have described him as raw and overmatched. I expected more this year but haven't seen it. I just don't see a skill or set of tools that stands him apart, I also think maybe he needs more coaching. Seems like a decent athlete, and has good size and pretty good speed. Maybe more playing time in AZ would be helpful.

Ok, I'll bite ... Chris McFarland, is the real deal. He may be the best infield prospect I have seen in Helena since Jeff Cirillo. Alcides Escobar was very, very young while in Helena and I still think Yadiel Rivera has a shot. I liked Eric Farris alot but McFarland is bigger with more power. He is now making big league defensive plays based on his athletic ability and should only get better as he learns the position, great range and instincts. At the plate he drives the ball using his lower body. Quick hands, makes contact, the ball really jumps off his bat. He could probably play SS but I think it's wise that he is concentrating on 2B, could be very special. Raul Mondesi Jr, needs to learn discipline at the plate and in the field. Has some tools, good arm, covers gound in the OF, plays hard, a fault could be that he tries to make a play when he shouldn't. His swing is pretty much all or nothing, hence the SO's and the HR's. I understand at this level they tend to let the players be and not change things too much. Is not really a power hitter but could be a doubles triples guy if he would concentrate on making contact, decent speed. Is not very big but is solid, probably not going to grow much physically at this point (unlike his brother). Tyronne Taylor, another guy I really like. Maybe the best OF prospect since Michael Brantley. I really liked Caleb Gindl but he and Tyronne are different players. Tyrone has a frame that he will grow into and can probably put on another 20 lbs of muscle and not lose speed or athletic ability. Good speed, covers ground in the OF, good arm, definately has CF talent. Has a nice swing and seems to have a good understanding of the strike zone and how to hit. He has a ton of ability and looks to have had good coaching up to this point. No real holes in his game, just needs to mature physically and play. A very good 2nd round pick. I won't comment much on Reed, as I cannot figure him out. He has the physical tools. He may be pressing and is too hard on himself. I don't think tho he has the skill or instincts to play CF. A guy that is being overlooked, in my opinion, is Yonki Hernandez. A switch hitter who is batting .300, steals bases and plays good outfield. May be a little old to be considered a prospect, but his speed and ability to hit from both sides is a real plus. May grow and fill out a bit but probably will not have much power. The team seems to play better when he is in there, makes things happen, some intangibles there.

Its been a long time since I have been this disappointed in the play of the Helena team. I totally get that rookie ball is about development but I cannot accept a lack of effort. This game was win-able, and wasn't won because of a lack of effort and concentration. The 6th inning was a disaster, something that shouldn't be happening 30 games into the season. The pitchers deserved better, they were not that bad. I can only hope that Bruce Seid, who has been in town, kicks some butt while here.

Has anyone here actually seen Reed play? I ask because I have questions about his attitude and demeanor. After watching him in Helena for 3 games I am not seeing a lot of fire or really much interest in the game. I don't know if he is upset with being in Helena or it is just his personality.

"Eric Arnett sets his bar even lower"I am trying to figure out where this came from and what it means.I understand that most here are dissapointed in Arnett and feel he is a "bust".I don't share opinion, having watched him in '09, this year and last nights game as well (can't speak for 2010 while he was in Wisc.).Last night was definately the poorest I have seen him pitch. That being said even last night he showed stuff, competitiveness and poise that I wouldn't give up on.In my opinion he "over thinks" the game and situation, he is at his best when he works quickly. He really gets bogged down (mentally) when men are on base. Instead of being confident in his stuff he trys to be too "fine" and ends up grooving too many pitches.Whether he can get beyond this or not remains to be seen, but at 3 years in I wouldn't give up on him. His stuff is very good and he is an excellent athlete. But what do I know, I am still scratching my head as to why Evan Frederickson was released.

The outfield in Helena is just brutal! Both at the plate and in the field. There were 3 plays (non plays) out there, that didn't show up in the scorebook, that led to runs.Time to start rotating the plethora of 1b / catchers to left field.

Helena wins in the 12th!Paciorek with a walk-off hr, his second of the night.Arnett was decent, very hitable but threw with confidence.Shakey defense, but turned the plays when needed. Terrific play by Dhanani in the 12th.Jones with 3 strong innings to close it out.Paciorek looks good behind the dish - quick feet and the best arm I've seen in Helena at the catcher position.Allison - completely lost at the plate, also looks 25lbs heavier than last Sept.Walla - best rf to come thru Helena since Gindl.

Jones slider is the real deal. I also thought his command was very good. He is also very intimidating with that side arm delivery. Hitters that would stand in there tho could get the bat on the ball. It will be interesting to see next year when he faces more advanced hitters.I wouldn't be surprised to see Jones move up beyond Wisc. coming out of spring training.Garman and Marzac will definitely help Wisc, I am just not sure how high their ceiling is.

colbyjack,First congratulations to the 2010 Helena Brewers!Pitching and defense win titles. After they made the playoffs I felt very positive that they could win the whole thing. I've kind of stayed away from on-board comments this year but have been very pleased with the attitude of the club and the preparation for each game. It may be just this group of players but the baseball IQ seemed very high this year and they played with a purpose all season long. This, in my opinion, was a direct reflection on Joe Ayrault's (and staff's) leadership and his pre-season declaration of team goals - 1. to make the playoffs, 2. to win the division and 3. to win the league title. The players bought into it and played team baseball thru the end. In an era of "me first" egos it was a real pleasure watching these guys. I hope that the organization recognizes Ayrault's talents, he's an excellent manager and teacher. Its really important to have good coaching and to develop a team attitude at this level. Props to Elvin Nina too, he's done an outstanding job the past 3 years. I would like to see all 3, including Yost, back next year.As for the players, once again its all pitching. Not to take anything away from what the team accomplished but I am not seeing any impact position players on their way to Mil. (Interesting, the last Helena team to win the league title was 1996, and I can't recall anyone from that club making the show.) I do agree with your assessment of Neda, and feel he could become a MLB backup. As he got more comfortable his hitting improved. I hate to project pitching but as noted Thornburg could be a jewel, in addition to his heat he is also a competitor. Nelson is a horse as is Miller. I also like Alex Jones as a sleeper. When "on" Evan Frederickson had the best stuff of anyone.Anyway, it was a fun summer in Helena, now the long 9 months until next June.

Wow, the Timber Rattlers park is quite a step up from Helena.Regarding Marseco, I know he tends to get overlooked, I will say that he is a gamer and is a terrific fielder. Those fortunate to watch him in person will see. I have followed baseball for 5 decades and can't recall anyone, at any level, that can field the ball, get it out of his mitt and make the throw faster than Marseco. He is very quick.

I've got to give a tip of my hat to John Delaney. In 2008, when Edgar Trejo went down after 3 games, John stepped up and ably manned the hot corner for the season. Played hard, great attitude. Also, a little trivia on Welch. In 2005 he and fellow Aussie Bresford, along with 2 others were a part of the Helena Brewers only no-hitter.It will be a tough time of the year for many HBrewers and TRats.

X ellence, having watched Cutter the past to summers I disagree with your assertion. I was very supportive of him this year and have been complimentary in his move to 2B. I don't understand why he wasn't moved to AZ along with the position switch. I also think he has played better ball this summer compared to last. However his inability to follow the game, give good effort and make baseball decisions are not going to be corrected in ST. This isn't new, as last summer he dogged in the OF, couldn't hit a cut-off and continuely ran thru signs. I agree with what you mentioned - quick bat, good base stealer, and although his average doesn't reflect it he was much better at putting the bat on the ball this summer, he can really sting the ball. At this point I am at a loss at where to play him.

Unbelievable end to the Helena game. That Dykstra was not charged with an error is unbelievable as well. He just stood there and waited for someone else (Halton?) to make the play before he made a stab at it. The night before, on 2 consecutive steal attempts, he neglected to back up Marseco at 2B as the ball sailed into CF (Garfield's arm is another story). For all his physical talents I don't believe he can be taught to play baseball. There have been Brewers brass at the past couple of games, all the strike outs, all the attempted and caught steals by the Brewers makes me wonder if players were being "show cased". Another good pitching effort down the drain, story of this season.

Odorizzi was absolutely shelled, looked like BP as every hit was solid Too bad, as the pitchers behind him threw pretty well. Pokorny with 6 K's in 4 innings. I also liked Lamontagne with a little fire, hitting Castillo after giving up the 3R HR to Stone.

Got to give Cutter some props tonight. He came out to receive the 1st pitch, wearing a batting helmet and catchers mask. Got a nice ovation from the crowd. Also came in as a replacement in the 6th, so it looks like he's ok.

Helena wins 2 - 1. Its been a while since a Helena win. The Brewers made the most of their 3 hits and won in the 9th. After Marseco singled and Paciorek reaches on an error, Garfield, with 2 strikes and 2 outs, doubled both home for the win. Excellent pitching from both clubs. It was also nice to see some professional pitching from Capuano - using the plate, setting up pitches, good control. He didn't overwhelm but made his pitches and showed what it takes to be a big leaguer.

wibadgers, I have seen Odorizzi on 3 occasions (I missed his first start, probably his worst outing.) I really like him a lot! Very easy motion, throws strikes and doesn't walk many. His 6 BB's and 2 HR's with 33 So's in 40+ innings - tells me that he is a competitor. I think he is averaging around a hit an inning. I don't think he throws that hard, low 90's maybe, not a "power" type pitcher but he has very good control. He is hittable and it will be interesting to see how he does as he moves up and pitches against more advanced hitters. I think he is the kind of pitcher who will benefit from good coaching and experienced game calling. He looked very good the other night despite the 2 runs he surrendered, striking out 8 and walking none. Maybe a little mental lapse in the 4th inning but the defense didn't play real inspired ball behind him, although the runs were earned. He's a good athlete who can field his position. Tremendous upside, I believe he just turned 19 this year, he is tall and lean and looks like he could grow into his frame. I have to agree with colbyjack, the young pitching looks very promising.

colbyjack, I did respond on Arnett and Heckathorn on the 8/27 thread. Not to rehash it here, but I don't really have a good handle or insight on evaluating pitchers. Unlike hitters (Yost says he just lets them hit at this level, not much in the way of coaching) and defense (which I can evaluate) I am unsure if the coaching staff is letting the pitchers throw or having them work on specific things to the exclusion of the game and stats. It is obvious that some are/were on pitch counts. It seems a lot like spring training to me, where guys you know that have good stuff look great one outing and then get shelled the next, because they are working on something. Arnett fits that description. Heckathorn did look very good the other night, mixed his pitches well, good command. Bucci I think is tired, his throwing motion is not a fluid as it was earlier in the summer. I also think the 09 Helena staff would have benefited from a more experienced catcher. Not to knock Garfield but a "veteran" 4 year college type guy would go along way in game calling and experience. I also commented on Dykstra 8/27, he is playing better this year, although his stats may not show that (or maybe he's just hot lately because his dad has been in town).