Jim Goulart

Wisconsin Media Notes and Lineup at the Rattlers Radio Blog here.

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter. *** STANDINGS: (For split-season leagues, 2nd half standings are shown as the default, although overall standings are also available at the link.) AAA - Pacific Coast League American Southern Division AA - Southern League North Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division Rookie Advanced - Pioneer League North Division Rookie - Arizona Summer League Central Division DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris *** Sortable individual stat pages: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale Dominican Summer League Brewers *** Weather.com: Huntsville, AL Geneva, IL Billings, MT

Follow Thursday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Huntsville Wisconsin Helena MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

Thursday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: Season complete - Finished 77-67, but out of the postseason; Seth (TheCrew07) put together a detailed player review summary here ********** Huntsville: RHP Drew Gagnon at home vs. Chattanooga (Dodgers), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime; it's Game One of a Best-of-Five Series, first two games at home Free Live Audio Link Steve Jarnicki is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars - welcome aboard! Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveJarnicki. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast. ********** Brevard County: Season complete - Finished 73-62, but out of the postseason ********** Wisconsin: RHP Preston Gainey at Kane County (Cubs), 5:40 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime; it's Game Two of a Best-of-Three Series, Rattlers trail 1-0 Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio. ********** Helena: RHP Jorge Ortega at Billings (Reds), 7:45 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime; it's the season finale Free Live Audio Link There's a new Voice of the Helena Brewers in 2014, as Dustin Daniel (@dustin__daniel on Twitter) takes over for legendary Steve Wendt. We look forward to Dustin building his own legacy moving forward. ********** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Season complete - Finished 24-31, out of the postseason ********** DSL Brewers: Season complete - summary post here

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Sounds site -- 2014 Season In Review

Traded farmhand LHP Anthony Banda got the playoff-opening starting assignment and wasn't as sharp as he's been recently allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks over 5 innings, with one costly balk, in South Bend's opening Midwest League playoff loss (box score).

David Denson video interview within the Post-Crescent's postgame coverage

VIDEO: Huntsville TV news report, playoff preview

Rattler Radio Blog - Postgame Entry Audio interviews, photos, video... *** This was the Post-Crescent series preview, still with good info and quotes even if read after Game One.

Miller Park Prospects - Timber Rattler Playoff Photo Gallery

That's a great insight, I just re-listened to Manager Rick Sweet's interview when he discussed Pena's status, and he didn't go into specifics. Do you remember hearing that from Jeff Hem during a subsequent game broadcast?

Interesting T-Rats lineup tonight. Too bad the big leaguers are opposite this game tonight (and all series).

Hmmm...interesting. Ariel Speedwagon as we "Roll With The Changes"...

Let's hope it's a happy 24th birthday for the Timber Rattlers' Paul Eshleman!

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Wisconsin Helena MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

Thursday preview: Stars catch charging Chattanooga in Southern League playoffs Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times The matchup is intriguing, especially to flip the calendar back two months. In those days, one of the teams was – at least in one player's confession – "the worst team in baseball" and the other could boast one of the best records in the minors. Now the worst is the best – at least the hottest – and the other is in the position of having to shrug off late-season doldrums. But despite the Huntsville Stars' tepid play of late, "I don't think anybody wants to play us in the playoffs," said outfielder Josh Prince. "We've got some older guys and we've got a lot of talent on this team. Yeah, we haven't been playing well, but at the same time there's not much difference in the team that was the best team in minor league baseball in the first half." The Stars will host the Chattanooga Lookouts Thursday and Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the first two games of the best-of-five Southern League North playoffs, with the winner to advance to the best-of-five championship series against the Jacksonville-Mobile winner in the South playoffs. This is the Stars' first playoff appearance since 2009. Huntsville has won three Southern League titles, in the inaugural season of 1985, in 1994 and with a shared title in 2001 when the championship series was cancelled after 9/11. There is a tremendous difference in Chattanooga. The Lookouts, a Dodgers' affiliate, have gone 21-7 since August 1, a torrid streak reminiscent of Huntsville's run to the championship series in 2006. Chattanooga was a feeble 26-44 in the first half, 20 games behind the Stars, who were 46-24. "It was a huge turnaround, and that's a big deal to us," Lookouts catcher Chris O'Brien told David Paschall of The Chattanooga Times-Free Press. "To go from the worst team in baseball to second-half champs is a pretty funny feeling, but it feels good. We never lost sight of what we wanted to do, and here we are. Everyone wants to peak late, and we're starting to hit our stride right now. Once you hit the playoffs, everyone is 0-0 and anything goes." It's an axiom of minor league baseball that few teams can sustain excellence through the course of the season because of constantly changing rosters. The irony this season is that the Mississippi Braves had the best overall record, at 83-56 – and they're not going to the playoffs. They neglected to win either half in the Southern League South, trailing Mobile by three games in the first, Jacksonville by one in the second. The Stars, at 77-63 on the year, owned the second-best record and were one of just four teams above .500. But that was built on a foundation of that terrific first half. "The second half has brought some new faces and taken a while for adjustments with injuries and promotions," said Huntsville manager Carlos Subero, a former Lookouts' skipper. "It's taken us a while to play consistent baseball (in the second half). I think for the playoffs, it's experience that we've got (that will help). That's one thing you want to have in playoffs. We haven't been consistent, but once playoff time comes, we'll see another level of play." "We have a lot of experience of guys that have been in playoff situations," coach Sandy Guerrero said. "I think that's going to help us, taking a little pressure off the younger kids. As you know, the playoff is a different type of animal. Younger kids tend to be under too much pressure." In the same period in which the Lookouts have gone 21-7, during which Chattanooga won 11 in a row, Huntsville has gone 12 -17 "When you talk about turning on a light switch maybe that's the right terminology. I don't know," Prince said. "But I think when we click we're a scary team."

Huntsville RH reliever Greg Holle indicated on Twitter today that he'll be playing winter ball in Venezuela.

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter. *** Look for this just prior to game time -- Wisconsin Media Notes - Linked on the Rattler Radio blog *** STANDINGS: (For split-season leagues, 2nd half standings are shown as the default, although overall standings are also available at the link.) AAA - Pacific Coast League American Southern Division AA - Southern League North Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division Rookie Advanced - Pioneer League North Division Rookie - Arizona Summer League Central Division DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris *** Sortable individual stat pages: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale Dominican Summer League Brewers *** Weather.com: Grand Chute, WI (Appleton) Billings, MT

Via MiLB.com -- Kane County Cougars (91-46, Western Division first-half champions) vs. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Western Division second-half Wild Card) Kane County won series, 12-6 Game 1 at Wisconsin, Sept. 3 at 7:35 p.m. ET Game 2 at Kane County, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. ET Game 3 at Kane County (if necessary), Sept. 5 at 7 p.m ET Kane County has dealt with a revolving door of player moves but was able to craft the best record in the Minor Leagues. "We always talk about the Cubs way, and I think each manager and each coach has their own style and the way they present that message, but I think as an overall organization, we're definitely on the same page with what we want to see on the field," Kane County skipper Mark Johnson said. "Our starting pitching has been intact all season; that's one thing that hasn't changed for us. They've done a great job all season long. Our pitching overall has been really good. They locate down in the zone. Our starters are getting us through five or six innings every night. On top of that, we're really good up the middle. Defense, pitching, and we always seem to have some timely hitting." Daury Torrez was 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 19 strikeouts against three walks against Wisconsin during the regular season, allowing five runs on 17 hits over 25 1/3 innings. Kane County reeled off 13 straight wins down the stretch, despite losing 11 players to Class A Advanced Daytona. Right-handed hitting catcher Will Remillard tore up Wisconsin, batting .571 (12-for-21) with 13 RBIs in seven games. The Cougars hit .283 as a team and compiled a 2.78 ERA against Wisconsin, while the Timber Rattlers batted .209 and had a 4.81 ERA vs. Kane County. Wisconsin catcher Clint Coulter hit .287, shared the league lead with 22 homers and drove in 89 runs. He also topped the circuit with a .410 on-base percentage, thanks to getting hit 21 times, and batted .279 against Kane County. Left fielder Omar Garcia hit .280 with eight steals vs. the Cougars.

It does not appear that tonight's Rattlers game will be televised locally. But you can still get fired up -- Clint Terry is (tweet).

Wednesday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: Season complete - Finished 77-67, but out of the postseason ********** Huntsville: Idle; Southern League semi-finals begin Thursday evening in Huntsville; read a preview below ********** Brevard County: Season complete - Finished 73-62, but out of the postseason ********** Wisconsin: LHP Clint Terry at home vs. Kane County (Cubs), 6:20 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime; it's Game One of a Best-of-Three Series, next two games on the road Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio. It does not appear that tonight's Rattlers game will be televised locally. ********** Helena: RHP Brandon Woodruff at Billings (Reds), 7:45 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link There's a new Voice of the Helena Brewers in 2014, as Dustin Daniel (@dustin__daniel on Twitter) takes over for legendary Steve Wendt. We look forward to Dustin building his own legacy moving forward. ********** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Season complete - Finished 24-31, out of the postseason ********** DSL Brewers: Season complete - summary post here

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RHP Eric Marzec returns to Huntsville after his Nashville spot start. The Stars need to free up two roster spots should RHP Tyler Wagner and 2B/UT Nathan Orf are activated as earlier indications were.

As per Baseball America's Matt Eddy, LHP Jed Bradley was 2nd among all minor league starting pitchers in ground ball/fly ball ratio in 2014 at 2.72.