Joseph Zarr

I do want to encourage anyone to check into the West Michigan telecast. I absolutely love their announcer duo and, hey, their team is fantastic.

3 up. 3 down for Dubanewicz. 2 ground outs. And a bunt attempt that Walther very easily handled down the 3B line. Nice efficient work.

Looks like a beautiful night to be had in both Zebulon and @ West Michigan. I do believe I heard 1B Eric Bitonti is back in the line-up.

I personally think evaluators have a hard time taking Adams seriously because he is such an odd and outlier unicorn. He truly is one of one. The HBP prowess at every level. The strange swing - original approach-to-modified approach, pronounced leg lift, wrist roll - oft ends in one armed pokes, swing decisions (ongoing perceived passivity). His walks. His power. His penchant for pop up 'funks'. As someone who has been clamoring for him to get more PT at 1B since he flashed how his athleticism plays there at Carolina, I've loved seeing him at 1B. He's really quite good there because he is so agile and has such good hands. I also have grown to love his sneaky way he very very quickly removes his plant foot off the bag to avoid any undue injury with every out at the base <cough...cough...Contreras>. His 3B work is a bit sketchy - I'm not going to lie - so I am glad he is getting good and consistent reps at 1B where he is a plus addition. As someone who was touting and pointing people to Adams back in his ACL days of yore, and then someone who was really pointing people to Adams once he began flashing at Carolina, I was highly skeptical of his jump to Double-A. I now essentially am in the camp of: don't doubt Luke Adams. I think beyond his production and beyond his prospect status at large, what isn't quantifiable but what absolutely comes across in his general playing 'joie de vivre', if you will, and in his interviews is his sacrifice and humility. This is truly a young man who puts his team and his faith at the forefront. He works on himself and his game to better the game itself. He puts his entire faith in the proverbial 'man upstairs'. He is genuine. He is a different type of player and a different type of person. What makes that more satisfying to me, personally, is the understanding that even if it doesn't work out in baseball (hey, we never know) I know Luke Adams the person is going to be just fine and he is going to positively impact wherever he goes. Love the player. Love the person.

I'm listening to Rattler Monday. I would imagine the Dorchies promotion, tho obviously well-deserved in and of itself, is also somewhat mandated by the T-Rats suddenly having only 11 available pitchers w Yerlin's unknown suspension. Gillis and Rund are eligible to come off the 7-Day IL but Mehring clearly didn't think either were ready to come right off the IL. The problem I have is I don't think there is a Mudcat worthy of a High-A promotion out of their pitching stables. Perhaps, with Woessner's re-assignment they actually have 12? And they'll just roll with it. Anywho, some borderline relevant thoughts.

Wilken Through 274 PA in 2025: 20.43% BB rate 26.27% K rate 11.67 % HR/2B rate

I like to think RHP Wandy Cabrera poured one out for all the DSL and ACL brethren across the years today. (Me stateside)

DSL Gold still being 'No-No'd as they head into the 5th down 3-0. Yes, I am posting this to plant the seeds for the No-No declaration jinx. It's gotta work both ways, oh baseball karma gods. No sleeping on the job!

Lack of production? What are we talking about here? He was hitting 0.327 with a 0.924 OPS in 55 April AB then had that odd thumb injury where he missed over two weeks of time (it was like a 16-17 day absence). Clearly wasn't the same when he returned. Despite that, still hit to a plus 0.700 OPS in May. Is back above 0.800 OPS in June. One could actually conclude he needs more playing time. It's as Rick Sweet has said on more than one occasion: EMJ just needs to stay healthy so he can stay in his groove.

He truly is SPECIAL. Also, did anyone else get right to the transactions and quickly scan and then: And think..."Gee, that's an awful strange arrangement and demotion for Deivi!"

How many times have the affiliates been walked off this week? ACL Brewers led 3-2 bottom of 7 (7-inning affair). RHP Ayendy Bravo had the bases juiced with one down. He and the ACL Crew were walked off. They lose 4-3.

Can we definitively say the location of Yerlin throwing a baseball anywhere near home plate is intentional? Under a Lie Detector test my answer would prove inconclusive.

I love this game thread title, Jim. Well done. I use the Astrological calendar annually to inform my farming practices. I've done this for decades. Here's a brief share on the number 13: Firstly, from a personal perspective, three and 13 are beautiful numbers. I definitely practice what is called 'triskaidekaphobia' because I avoid 12 like the plague 😅. The bad rep 13 receives is a silly overlay on society throughout the shifts and forced assimilations away from nomadic/animist/tribal/pagan living. Did you know we originally lived in a 13 month, 13 moon annual cycle? It's true. For millenia. No leap years. No Daylight Savings nonsense. No Julian or Gregorian grid. We lived with 28 day months. Why? Because that is the way the Earth exists and moves in the cosmos. Did you know we originally had 13 Zodiac (astrological/sidereal) signs in the heavens. Tis absolutely true. The missing sign is 'Ophiucus' or 'The Serpent Bearer' - on the sun's ecliptic it's a constellation between Scorpio and Sagittarius. I stand with the number 13. I honor our history.

Wes Clarke continues his descent further down the organizational depth chart. Commentary on his play aside, 2025 has not been kind to his future Brewers prospects.

I'm thinking they are going to surprise many and target 1B Andrew Vaughn from the White Sox. I'm just reading the tea leaves. Oh wait, I'm actually reading an article at MLB Trade Rumors. Darn it. I gave away my 'secret'.

Well, coming into this Lynchburg series I proclaimed the Mudcats 'should' be content with aiming for a split given their results the past week plus. Anything else would be gravy. Well, toss the gravy out - it spoiled. The time to go for that split is now. It starts tonight. The goal as I now see it (the foul poles have moved, you see): leave the series ahead 1.0 G. Or, lose the series 2-4 and head into the final series trailing by 1.0 G.

You did this, Ben. The most unlikely of heroes kind of week. Hurt me! (I'm obviously kidding. Tough tough sledding in Norfolk and Lynchburg this week)

That's the Spirit! May it be so.

Man this week keeps on taking! I'm ready for another: Hurt Me! Also: A beautifully painful example of why you really try to ensure you have a challenge remaining for .the 9th inning and possible Extras.

Welp, 2 Hudson free passes w two down. And the not so good version of Craig Yoho and we suddenly have a 5-5 ball game bottom of the 8th. Ouch.

A clean Payamps inning - 1K - and a Baseball Angel grows its win! 5-2 Sounds headed to the 8th.

Rijo keeps producing. Early most pleasantness of DSL surprises for me. Dalbec is on another of his Triple-A heaters. I love Him.

You are most likely correct. For some reason, I had this vision of a Shuckers intern handling their media account. Is Javik really doing double (let's be honest, triple) duties there? Truly a Labor of Love. I just peaked at that Timber Rattlers pitching staff. My word, the injuries. The Sounds can stomach Miz's Taxi status - they have 16 pitchers. The T-Rats are sitting at 12 healthy with no Woessner. That is extremely precarious.