Jim Goulart

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Brief video with Manager Carlos Subero - The Stars clinched the Southern League Playoffs. But they're struggling a bit before the All-Star Break

20-year-old middle infielder Gregory Munoz will be jumping from the DSL to Helena after only one pro season (.292/.376/.362). He had only seven extra-base hits among his 54 DSL base knocks last summer, and I get a kick out of the fact that only one was a double (six triples).

Brewers set to open at home Monday Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record Despite finishing just one win shy of a Pioneer League Championship last year, Helena Brewers manager Tony Diggs would consider the 2013 season a success. After all, the rookie level is about more than wins and losses — success is defined primarily by player development and improvement. The fact that the bulk of last year’s roster is now playing up a level in Class A Wisconsin is a testament to the team’s hard work in Helena. “Last year was very special in the fact that we had a chance to do what we did,” said Diggs, the second-year skipper whose team lost in three games to Idaho Falls for the crown. “Guys played well all year. We came up one game short of having a championship here. Do you look forward to doing things like that? Absolutely. But you have to keep in mind the important thing is to make these guys better, get them more consistent and get them prepared for at least the next level. “That being said, there is an expectation of winning as well.” The Brewers went 43-33 overall last year, winning the first half North Division title. Diggs is looking to build on that achievement with essentially an entirely new crew. Only four players on the 28-man roster spent any time in Helena last season — fans may remember Tyler Linehan, Dionis Hinojosa, Brandon Moore and Jack Cleary — and the coaching staff has a pair of new faces in hitting coach Jason Dubois and pitching coach Rolando Valles. Valles has been with the Brewers organization for a number of years, and Dubois — a former big league outfielder — has spent the past three seasons as hitting coach in the Arizona League. He worked with the AZL Brewers last year after two seasons with the AZL Cubs. “I’m very excited for my first year out of the state of Arizona; it’s a nice change of scenery,” Dubois said. “It’s a great group of guys coming in here and I’m very excited for the opportunity to coach them. Plus, it’s nice to be out of the 120-degree heat.” The bulk of the team arrived in Helena on Sunday evening, leaving limited time to prepare with Opening Day less than a week away. The Brewers kick off the season on Monday, June 16, with a five-game homestand, hosting Missoula for a three-game series before a two-game set against Billings. “The time constraints this year are a lot different from last year,’ Diggs said, while newly drafted players and those up from extended spring training worked out behind him under sunny skies Tuesday. “We had 10 days last year to get prepared; this year it’s more like four. “We’ll cover a lot in the next four days. It helps that a number of guys coming from extended already know a lot about the program.” Twelve players on the roster were promoted from the Arizona League, while seven were just drafted last week. Fifth-round selection Dustin DeMuth — the highest pick from this year’s draft in Helena — seventh-rounder Mitch Meyer and 11th-rounder Brandon Woodruff were the only players who hadn’t arrived in the Capital City as of Tuesday. For several others fresh out of college, it’s been a whirlwind experience. Catcher Greg McCall, for instance, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, then flown out to Helena two days later. The Frisco, Texas, native, taken in the ninth round out of UT-Arlington, said it’s been a lifelong dream to play professional baseball. “I was with my family and close friends and we were keeping track on the computer,” he said. “It was a really exciting time to get drafted, and I got a great organization in the Brewers. I’m really excited to get going.” As a catcher, McCall said the biggest adjustments will be getting on the same page with the pitchers and becoming acclimated to the daily grind of a 76-game season. Playing every day, as opposed to four days a week at the most in college, will be an adjustment he said. “I’m looking forward to the grind and I’m excited to get better,” McCall said. Linehan is one of 14 pitchers on the roster. The southpaw, a reliever on Helena’s staff last season, began this year with the Timber Rattlers. “I just struggled a bit up there,” Linehan said. “It was tough to find the zone and throw strikes, so I need to work on my consistency.” Linehan, who said his curveball is his best pitch, was 1-1 with a 10.03 ERA through five games to start this season in Wisconsin. Last year in Helena he was 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA, part of a pitching staff that had the third-best ERA in the league (4.62). He hopes his experience can help the younger guys adapt to pro ball. “One thing I can help with here with guys coming in and coming up is getting a set routine,” he said. “They’re here for a reason and everybody’s good, so just help them build their confidence and keep it going.” The pitcher with perhaps the most pressure on him to perform is Devin Williams, Milwaukee’s highest-drafted player in 2013. He comes to Helena after a 1-3 campaign last year in the AZL. “I’m really just focused on doing my game plan; I don’t really try to focus on expectations that others put on me because most of the time you don’t live up to those,” Williams said. “I’m just trying to pitch for myself, basically. “My game plan is just to throw a lot of strikes, get ahead in the count and keep people off base.” Williams said his breaking ball needs work but added that his fastball has topped out at 96 mph. The right-hander throws a fastball, changeup and slider. Like many of the players on this year’s squad, he’s never been to Montana before now. The closest McCall has come was when he lived in Boise, Idaho, for a while. “This is all just a humbling experience,” McCall said of his new career. “It’s finally starting to hit me.” From what little Diggs has seen, he believes this team has the tools to be successful. He also thinks it might have more speed than last year’s Pioneer League runner-up. “I’m hoping we have some guys who can swing the bat,” he said. “I’m thinking we have more team speed than we had last year, so hopefully we can steal some bases and create some havoc when we’re on base.” Both Diggs and Dubois cited third baseman Tucker Neuhaus and outfielder Elvis Rubio as players to watch early on. “Elvis Rubio made major adjustments last year,” Dubois said. “He’s done a lot with his swing. He advanced a lot and he deserved to get the promotion this year.” The 18- and 19-year-old are young and bound to make mistakes, but they showed plenty of promise in Arizona a year ago. Rubio batted .314 while Neuhaus hit .231 with 24 RBIs. “I’d like to see us improve defensively over the course of the year in techniques and consistency, and I think we can do it. “I think we have some very solid athletes here that know how to play the game. It’s just a matter of them getting more repetitions.” Photos by Thom Bridge / Helena Independent Record - First baseman Alan Sharkey fields a ground ball at The Helena Brewer first practice Tuesday. Their opening game is Monday at Kindrick Legion Field against Missoula. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/82/282f8eca-f105-11e3-b211-0019bb2963f4/5397acca351b0.preview-620.jpg Gregory Munoz receives a pop-fly at the Helena Brewers' first practice Tuesday. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/e6/ae6c337c-f109-11e3-8dc2-0019bb2963f4/5397b43093e7b.preview-620.jpg

Quick and dirty this AM, more to be added at mid-day: Sounds' Pena brings no-hitter into seventh Brewers No. 17 prospect registers nine strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings *** Stars edge Chattanooga Mitch Haniger hit a pair of two-run home runs for the Stars. It was Haniger's second game in his last six contests where he hit two home runs *** Beloit deals a blow to Rattlers playoff hopes Wisconsin drops 9-6 decision to Snappers in 17 innings at home By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Rattler Radio blog - Postgame entry

21 (626). Donnie Hissa, RHP, Notre Dame

Stark, Leal selected by Brewers in MLB Draft by Andy Collier, The Bolivar (MS) Commercial Bolivar Commercial Photo / Elisabetta Zengaro Delta State catcher Carlos Leal got in some action as a pitcher during last fall. Even though Leal was a catcher at DSU for two seasons, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as a pitcher in the 34th round of the MLB draft. http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/1043/assets/GIAA_Carlos_Leal_Pitching.jpg Delta State’s Taylor Stark and Carlos Leal had the thrill of having their names called out during the Major League Baseball Draft this past weekend. Stark, a right handed pitcher was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 30th round (896th pick), while Leal was selected by the Brewers in the 34th round (1,016th pick). “I hope both of those guys can go on and prove themselves,” Delta State head baseball coach Mike Kinnison said. “I’m just excited about the opportunity both of them have in front of them. Like it is for so many players, it’s a dream come true for them.” Stark and Leal recently concluded their careers at DSU with good seasons. Stark went 2-1 with four saves and a 2.66 ERA in 16 appearances. Stark gave up 19 hits with 23 strikeouts and only four walks in 20.1 innings of work. Last season, Stark went 3-0 with a 3.52 ERA in 18 appearances. He struck out 24 batters and gave up 24 hits with nine walks in 23 innings. Stark played his first two seasons of college ball at Mississippi State University. “Stark showed enough arm strength during the year that I think the scouts were interested in that and wanted to see how much more he could develop,” Kinnison said. “He was able to get the fastball in the 90-mile an hour range, and he’s certainly got some potential to develop there. I wish him the best.” Leal, who played catcher at DSU for two seasons, finished up 2014 with a home run, 37 RBIs, 56 hits and a .359 batting average in 46 games. Leal threw out 12 of 42 base runners trying to steal and committed just five errors with a .980 fielding percentage. Last season, Leal hit .310 with a home run and 27 RBIs in 45 games. Leal was drafted as a pitcher, because of his strong throwing arm. Leal played his first two seasons of college ball at East Central Community College and drafted in the 33rd round of the MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012 as a catcher. “A lot of people had interest in him,” Kinnison said about Leal. “I knew it would be late rounds, but I’m excited he got an opportunity. He had two great years for us. He was one of those hard workers you really appreciate as a coach. He has a great attitude and for him to get an opportunity is a dream come true for him.”

AUDIO via Jeff Hem's blog -- "Tonight’s interview is with Corey Rodriguez, a member of the Sounds’ parent-club Milwaukee Brewers’ scouting department. He discusses the fascinating world of baseball scouting, especially around the annual amateur draft, how the Brewers approached this year’s draft and the depth in their farm system. (Note: I also caught up with him last year when he visited Nashville after the ’13 draft. You can hear that HERE)."

Weather.com: Nashville, TN Huntsville, AL Lakeland, FL Grand Chute, WI (Appleton) Santo Domingo, DR

Sortable individual stat pages: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin Dominican Summer League Brewers

STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Southern Division AA - Southern League North Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris

Look for these just prior to the respective game times -- Nashville Media Notes - it's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Roster" banner on the Sounds' site. Brevard County Media Notes - again, it's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Multimedia" banner on the Manatees' site. Wisconsin Media Notes - Linked on the Rattler Radio blog

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.

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin DSL Brewers MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

As we've been telling you the past several days -- DVR Alert: Next up on the Rattlers TV schedule is Tuesday, June 10th via TimeWarnerCable SportsChannel, with the "Timber Rattlers Field Pass" show airing as a pre-game at 6:30 PM. *** After tonight, both Wednesday and Thursday games this week vs. Beloit are on MyNew32 TV, 7:00 PM airtime each evening (no pre-game).

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: RHP Ariel Pena at home vs. Reno (Diamondbacks), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link Jeff Hem is the play-by-play voice of the Sounds; follow him on Twitter @jeffhempbp; we'll link to his blog updates at On the Air…and Off MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Nashville games, home and away, will be available to watch via MiLB.TV's $49.99 season-long package ($12.99 to pay for a single month). The audio feed is from the home team. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. ********** Huntsville: RHP Andy Moye at home vs. Chattanooga (Dodgers), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime 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. MiLB.TV - It appears seven of the ten Southern League teams telecast their home games (not the Stars). ********** Brevard County: RHP Austin Ross at Lakeland (Tigers), 5:00 PM pre-game, 5:30 gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the proper link based on listed schedule Dave Walkovic returns as the play-by-play voice of the 'Tees; follow the Brevard broadcast booth staff on Twitter @BCManateesRadio. All home games and many road games are scheduled to be broadcast. When road games are only available via the opponents' audio feed (or not at all), we'll let you know that. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Barrett Astin at home vs. Beloit (Athletics), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime 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. For the $49.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, Stars' road games from seven Southern League locales, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games. NOTE: Thirty-nine (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (9) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (30) will split duties. We'll let you know when and who, and remember to refer to the Rattlers' full TV schedule so you can coordinate your DVR activity. ********** DSL Brewers: at the DSL Braves, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until later in the day We're going to lock in the link to Brad Krause's fantastic Miller Park Prospects - Dominican Summer League primer right here, at least for the first couple of months of the DSL campaign, for your easy review. Brad will also be adding DSL Link Report duties to his Brevard coverage for us here. Thanks, Brad!

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Really jealous of you locals able to watch this -- FOX Sports Wisconsin is presenting a special series on the Brewers in the Dominican Republic. The third special airs Wednesday, June 11 after the Brewers-Mets game, and is on the team's baseball academy and how it was established as well as the details and purpose behind it. Here's an excellent article from FSW's Andrew Gruman filling us in.

Pelham to decide baseball future in a month Bret McCormick, Lancaster (PA) Herald Online http://media.heraldonline.com/smedia/2014/06/10/14/58/tV0sH.AuSt.6.jpeg Photo by ALEX HICKS JR There was one scout at C.D. Pelham’s season-opening pitching performance for Lancaster High School in 2013. Twenty-five showed up at South Pointe High School for Pelham’s final outing later that same season. Despite getting selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 746th pick in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday, Pelham is still getting scouted. The Spartanburg Methodist College freshman, and the Brewers, will make a final decision on his immediate future on or before July 13. “I don’t think they’ve offered me yet, but I think they’re gonna follow me and see,” said Pelham, who is playing for the Columbia Blowfish of the Coastal Plains League this summer. “If the money is right, I’m probably gonna’ go pro; if it’s not, then I’ll probably go back to SMC. ”If Pelham does that, he’ll be a sophomore at Spartanburg Methodist. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound left-hander went 2-2 in 10 appearances for the Pioneers this past spring, striking out 51 batters in 39 innings. Pelham battled with bouts of intermittent wildness, walking 28, but he put together a stingy 1.85 earned run average and held opposing hitters to a .131 average when he was pitching. “He pitched well for us, especially the last two weeks,” said Spartanburg Methodist head baseball coach Tim Wallace. “Yeah, he’s a work in progress, but he’s gotten better as the year progressed. ”Pelham was one of 22 pitchers taken by the Brewers. He is a baseball scout’s dream, the unpolished rare discovery blessed with natural arm strength and height, and a tuba-like voice that reenforces his towering dimensions. Pelham‘s fastball kisses 95, spending most of its time in the 90 to 92 mile per hour range. Spartanburg Methodist pitching coach Marc Rape said pro scouts compare him to Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, who regularly fires his fastball over 100 miles per hour. Wallace told Pelham after his first start for the Pioneers during their abbreviated fall season that he had a chance to make a living playing baseball. “He has all the things you can’t teach,” said the Pioneers coach. And yet, Pelham seems rather surprised by the recent lift-off of his baseball career. He was also an excellent basketball and football player, and while he played baseball the longest of any of the three, he really only took the sport seriously his senior year at Lancaster. Pelham was planning on accepting an academic scholarship to Coastal Carolina when the Spartanburg Methodist opportunity arose. The Pioneers began recruiting him midway through the 2013 season, just a few months after he had surfaced on recruiting/scouting radars. “As soon as we saw him he was 90, 91, even 95,” said Rape. “We knew with the pro attention he was getting, it was going to be difficult for us to be able to have him at the college level. And he did turn down some money offers to come to SMC, but we were thrilled to get a chance to work with him, and polish him and get him drafted better. ”Pelham was on his way to Charleston with his girlfriend to put in some work with a pitching trainer last Saturday when his phone started to light up, friends congratulating him via Twitter and text message on being drafted by the Brewers. “I didn’t know what they were talking about,” said Pelham, who finally got a call from Milwaukee confirming the selection. “I was figuring I would get picked, but I thought it was gonna be later than that. I was driving so I wasn’t really paying attention to it. ”That kind of Pierre-don’t-care-air speaks to Pelham‘s bewilderment at his own rise. He first experienced that self-surprise last year with Lancaster, as scouts quickly multiplied behind Region 3-4A back-stops. “I didn’t know anything about what I was doing. After that first game the scouts kept coming,” said Pelham, who is 18 years old and hit 96 on the radar gun this season. “I honestly didn’t know why. I’d never been clocked before, didn’t know how fast I was throwing.” “And still, I don’t think it’s really set in to him about how good he can be,” said Rape. “This year was kind of eye-opening because he got to pitch at the college level but there’s more in the tank for him. ”SMC coaches worked on Pelham’s mechanics, but the biggest focus of their teaching was mentality. “He knows if he’s throwing strikes, he can’t be beat,” said Rape. “That’s what I try to reenforce in his head. ‘Just have fun; you’ve got the stuff to do it. All the stuff we work on in bullpens during the week, leave that there, and just go out and let it come natural to you and have fun. ”Pelham struck out seven with no walks in four innings of a 2-1 win over Surry Community College on Feb. 8, but allowed five earned runs and walked seven in his next two appearances, which went for a combined 4.2 innings. In his last five performances, he put together encouraging numbers. Pelham struck out nine and allowed just two hits in a 10-1 win over Rockingham Community College on April 8, before striking out seven and walking one in a one-hit performance against hometown USC-Lancaster. Pelham went eight innings in the district championship win over USC-Sumter, which got the Pioneers to the Junior College World Series, allowing five hits, no runs and striking out eight, while walking three. Pelham then walked four, but struck out seven and allowed just two hits and an earned run in a 10-2 win over Blinn College at the Junior College World Series late last month, his final outing of the spring. The key for Pelham going forward, whether in the pros or college, is to add a breaking ball. He readily admits he throws one pitch, a fastball, though he is able to change the speed on it, sometimes unwittingly. Wallace pointed out that Pelham threw exclusively fastballs in his last two starts; the Pioneers coach would like to see him return for a sophomore season at Spartanburg Methodist and enhance his arsenal. “The thing with him now is just potential and projectability,” said Wallace. “He hasn’t harnessed his command of his fastball, his off-speed stuff is practically non-existent. He’s a young man that has a bright future in front of him, but he has a lot of work to do too. ”Still, this past season was Pelham’s first with a full-time pitching coach and the progress is already evident. “The sky is the limit,” said Rape. “If he continues to get better this summer, we get him back in the fall and he keeps his high work ethic, this kid could be a first-rounder. That’s extreme, but I’d say the goal is to get him in the top 10 rounds. ”Depending on the Brewers’ offer, Pelham might not be in next year’s draft. He will start Friday for the Blowfish against the Asheboro Copperheads, though. You can bet there will be a scout or two standing behind home, radar gun aimed right at the tall southpaw.

BrewCrewBall interviews Patrick Ebert (our own colbyjack) Part One Part Two

Via Miller Park Prospects -- Scouting Snapshot: Taylor Jungmann

20 questions with Sounds’ Matt Pagnozzi

All audio links -- Seid - Big 1070 in Madison Seid - WSSP MLB.com's Jim Callis on the Brewers' draft

Former Brewers 40-man roster RHP Cody Scarpetta signs out of indy ball w/Braves; hear him discuss.