Jim Goulart

AUDIO via Jeff Hem's blog -- Today’s interview is with Sounds outfielder Sean Halton, who discusses his and the team’s start to the season; how he views Triple-A ball now compared to his first experience at the level in 2012; and his appearance as a 4-year-old in a Little Debbie snack cakes commercial and his dad’s acting roles in movies like “Angels in the Outfield” and “Killer Klowns from Outer Space.” (Side note: check out the who’s who of actors in “Angels in the Outfield”) *** Wow!

Weather.com: Colorado Springs, CO Huntsville, AL Viera, FL (Melbourne) Grand Chute, WI (Appleton)

Sortable individual stat pages: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin

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

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 *** And yes, today's Nashville notes are already online.

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

DVR ALERT: Tonight's Timber Rattlers game is available on local TV on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. "Timber Rattlers Field Pass" airs at 6:00 PM, followed by the game at 6:30. Great opportunity to watch with the big league Brewers idle today. *** FYI, MyNew32 TV has Friday evening's game...

Thursday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: LHP Brad Mills at Colorado Springs (Rockies), 11:45 AM pre-game, 12:05 PM 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: LHP Brent Suter at home vs. Jackson (Mariners), 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: LHP Jed Bradley at home vs. Daytona (Cubs), 5:05 PM pre-game, 5:35 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. Cedar Rapids (Twins), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 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.

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And the Brewers indicate today that LHP Tyler Linehan has been transferred to extended spring training in Maryvale to make room.

You'll be able to listen to Jeff Hem's Nashville pre-game show as of 11:45 AM this morning, as Matinee-Palooza continues here at the Link Report Theater. Look for Thursday's Link Report preview by late morning.

Wisconsin's Chris Mehring had quite the time following this amazing Midwest League game in which Burlington lost to Clinton after leading 17-1. *** Watch an almost Robin Yount-like final catch in center field to save the AAA Iowa Cubs' Chris Rusin's no-hitter last night.

Sounds manager Rick Sweet on tagging up at second by Nick Cole, the Tennessean Topic: Training runners at second base to view fly balls differently based on the number of outs. Sweet Says: "There are different situations on deep fly balls with no outs and one out. With a runner on second base and nobody out and a fly ball hit semi-deep in the gap, they always go back and tag up. But with one out, they go half way (between second and third base). "It's a basic rule that we follow, but the runners still have to read the ball. That's a key element. "If we hit a deep fly ball— let's say it is to the wall and it could be off the wall, but you don't know— with no outs they stay back and tag up, because if the outfielder catches the ball he's going to get to third base with one out (and have a chance to score on a sacrifice fly the next play). If there's one out, we want the runner halfway because we want them scoring. If he's tagging and it hits off the wall, then he's not going to score because it bounces right to the outfielder who was backing up the guy who was at the wall trying to catch it. "It's a huge play. It's a play that we practice a lot from day one (in spring training) to start impressing upon our runners. "Most people don't know that's how to play it. Especially if the ball is off the wall and the guy is tagging up and he only gets to third. It is amazing how many fans and announcers talk about it. "I've wound up having to explain it to so many people, it's unbelievable. They say 'obviously that's bad base running,' well, no obviously it is not depending on the situation."

Brevard County -- AUDIO: Brewers Minor League Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Jeff Mester joins Andrew Luftglass on the Manatees Pregame Show AUDIO, Game Highlights: The Manatees defeat the Daytona Cubs, 5-1 AUDIO, Postgame: Catching up with winning pitcher Damien Magnifico

Daytona Cubs second-round pick Zastryzny injured by line drive in loss By Sean Kernan, Daytona News-Journal DAYTONA BEACH — The Daytona Cubs not only lost a game Wednesday night, but could possibly have lost a starting pitcher for some time due a wicked line drive that hit 2013 second-round pick Rob Zastryzny on his left arm. Zastryzny, who signed for a $1.1 million bonus last year, took the loss in the 5-1 setback to the Brevard County Manatees at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The southpaw was drilled by a rocket off the bat of Michael Reed in the fifth inning. Zastryzny (1-3) somehow recovered to make the play, throwing out Reed at first base, before collapsing to a knee in obvious pain. Daytona trainer Pete Fagan immediately dashed to the pitcher, who was removed from the game and taken to Halifax Health Medical Center for X-rays. “He got hit in the back of his forearm,” Daytona manager Dave Keller said. “He went to get X-rays. We'll know more about his status (Thursday).” The Manatees knocked 14 hits around the Jack, and nine of them came off Zastryzny, who was charged with four runs. Five Brevard County batters had two or more hits — Mike Garza was 3 for 4, while Nathan Orf, Tyrone Taylor, Cameron Garfield and Brandon Macias each had two hits. “That team over there started out really bad as a team offensively (this season), and they've had just about every single guy in their lineup make major adjustments,” Keller said. “They're putting together really good at-bats, and it's showing in their games.” Brevard County starter Damien Magnifico (2-2) lived up to his name. He scattered six hits and allowed just one run while striking out six and walking one. Pin-Chieh Chen was the only Cub with more than one hit. Chen had two singles and scored a run on Bijan Rademacher's first-inning double. The Manatees and Cubs are scheduled to play the next two games of the four-game series at Space Coast Stadium in Viera before returning to the Jack on Saturday night.

Reed's omission from the Baseball America Top 30 was a major, major oversight, no doubt, and not just in hindsight.

The Nashville game summary first posted this afternoon has been updated to include video and audio. *** From Tuesday's game: VIDEO: Kevin Mattison triples in Nashville's 4-1 loss to Colorado Springs

Final: Jackson 7, @Huntsville 2 Stars Winning Streak Ends Huntsville, AL - The Jackson Generals ended their five game losing streak Wednesday night with a 7-2 win over the Huntsville Stars at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars had their four game winning streak snapped. In the top of the first inning, the Stars made history when Taylor Jungmann struck out Dan Paolini. It completed a stretch of 31 consecutive scoreless innings thrown by the Stars pitching staff which broke a previous record of 30.2 scoreless innings by the 2000 edition of the Stars. The Stars took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Jason Rogers had an RBI double to put the Stars out in front. The next batter Kentrail Davis reached on a fielding error by first baseman Mickey Wiswall scoring Rogers. The Stars did not score the rest of the night and their lengthy scoreless streak on the mound came to an end in the fifth inning. With one out, Leon Landry bunted up the third baseline. Rogers barehanded the ball and threw it over first baseman Nick Ramirez's head. That was the first of three errors committed by the Stars defense. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Jamal Austin singled home Landry, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The scoreless streak for the Stars ended at 34.1 innings. Jungmann also issued a bases loaded walk in the inning to Ketel Marte tying the game at 2-2. The Generals took the lead for good on Paolini's sacrifice fly. Jungmann, who took the loss feel to 2-4 on the year. He went 4.1 innings allowing five hits on three runs (two earned). In the eighth, the Generals posted four runs against Stars reliever Kevin Shackelford. Wiswall had an RBI single making it 4-2 in favor of Jackson. John Hicks made it 5-2 on an RBI single. The final two runs were scored when Patrick Brady singled into right field. Mitch Haniger had a throwing error from right field trying to get the lead runner at third base as two runs came in. Trevor Miller, the Jackson starter came into tonight winless. However, the righty pitched six effective innings limiting the Stars to five hits. Miller improved to 1-4 on the season. Jackson is now 15-18 and gained a game on the first place Stars who are now 21-12 and lead Tennessee by two games for first place in the Southern League North standings. The Stars lead Jackson 2-1 in their series as it continues Wednesday night in Huntsville at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars have LHP Brent Suter (4-1, 1.46) starting. Jackson will turn to LHP Cam Hobson (3-1, 2.52). The game can be heard starting at 6:15 PM CT with Steve Jarnicki on 92.9 FM, 1450 AM, and wtkiradio.com. Huntsville Box Score Let's get this out of the way first - catcher Shawn Zarraga doubled, singled, and was HBP to reach three times in four plate appearances, now 29-for-64, .453 (25 singles, four doubles, 11 walks, two HBP, 6 K's). On a mostly sour note, you could take any two of these batting averages, add them together, and you wouldn't equal Zarraga's -- D'Vontrey Richardson (.219), Kentrail Davis (.217), Josh Prince (.193) and Mitch Haniger (.225), we could list others. Huntsville Game Log After four scoreless, Taylor Jungmann's night ends after 80 pitches (50 strikes): Jackson Top of the 5th John Hicks flies out to left fielder Kentrail Davis. Leon Landry singles on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Jason Rogers. Leon Landry advances to 2nd, on a throwing error by third baseman Jason Rogers. Mike Dowd walks. Patrick Brady reaches on a fielding error by shortstop Nick Shaw. Leon Landry to 3rd. Mike Dowd to 2nd. Jamal Austin singles on a ground ball to left fielder Kentrail Davis. Leon Landry scores. Mike Dowd to 3rd. Patrick Brady to 2nd. Ketel Marte walks. Mike Dowd scores. Patrick Brady to 3rd. Jamal Austin to 2nd. Pitching Change: Casey Medlen replaces Taylor Jungmann. Daniel Paolini out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Kentrail Davis. Patrick Brady scores. With Ramon Morla batting, wild pitch by Casey Medlen, Jamal Austin to 3rd. Ketel Marte to 2nd. Ramon Morla grounds out, shortstop Nick Shaw to first baseman Nick Ramirez.

John Sickels with his organizational rankings - prepare to use your scroll bar.

Sounds’ Mike Fiers making most of opportunity by Nick Cole, The Tennessean Sounds starting pitcher Mike Fiers was hurting in more ways than many knew last season. Mentally, the right-hander was trying to overcome an early season demotion to the minors after finishing the 2012 season as a key member of the Milwaukee Brewers’ rotation. His 7.25 ERA in 22 1/3 innings for Milwaukee was nearly double his 3.74 mark in 127 2/3 innings the previous season. Physically, his concerns about an underwhelming season quickly disappeared when a line drive off the bat of New Orleans’ Kevin Kouzmanoff ricocheted off Fiers’ pitching arm. It resulted in a broken forearm, and although it did not require surgery, the June 15 appearance at Greer Stadium would be his last one of the season. Emotionally, Fiers had been playing despite his mother suffering from an illness at home in Florida. After being granted time pitching with Advanced-A Brevard County to be closer to her in May, an injured Fiers was able to return to her side in June. But she died in August, bringing Fiers’ year to its lowest point. The compilation of grief and pain would be enough to break most people, but Fiers pressed on with his baseball career, determined to rehabilitate his arm and his heart to make good on the fresh start a new season promised. “You’ve just got to suck it up and deal with it,” he said. “And I think that’s what I did. You can’t sit around and pout about it or feel bad for yourself. I just tried to get back as quick as possible and be even better than what I was.” And he has not disappointed. The 28-year-old is off to a hot start to the season for Nashville, earning the Brewers’ minor league pitcher of the month honors with a 5-0 record and 0.80 ERA through five April starts. “He is commanding the strike zone,” Sounds manager Rick Sweet said. “A lot of times we talk about throwing strikes, but when I say commanding the strike zone, I mean he’s pitching in the strike zone with command; he’s not just throwing over the plate. He’s pitching to corners, he’s pitching up and down and he’s got good command of his breaking ball and his changeup… “His stuff is good, but the biggest thing right now is the command of all his pitches in and out of the strike zone, because it is as important to be able to command the ball out of the strike zone as it is in the strike zone.” That command, which the former 22nd round draft pick has used to rocket through the Brewers system with a strikeout-to-walk ratio better than 4-to-1, did not just re-appear overnight. First, Fiers had to get over the mental hurdles associated with being hit by a batted ball. “As a pitcher, you always have those close calls when balls are hit back up the middle,” Fiers said. “You’re kind of always leery about it, but you worry especially after you get hit. You’re a little timid on throwing a pitch and having it come back at you, so you’re not really focusing on your pitching.” Fiers went to Venezuela over the winter to face live hitters in meaningful games. The numbers weren’t pretty (0-1, 11.05 ERA), but the result was that Fiers was ready for action at Brewers camp in Arizona this spring. “That’s why I went to winter ball,” he said. “I was able to put that away, put it in the back of my mind and just move forward with it.” Although he yielded five earned runs to the Iowa Cubs in his first loss of the season on Monday, Fiers still leads the Pacific Coast League with 51 strikeouts and a 0.78 WHIP in 38 2/3 innings. “It’s nice to see,” Sounds pitching coach Fred Dabney said. “We knew that he would eventually get to where he was when he was really doing well in the big leagues. That’s just his nature, his personality and his make-up. He’s always been a gamer.” When asked if he thought Fiers’ performance level was worthy of another shot at pitching in Milwaukee, Dabney didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he said with a grin. “Definitely.”

Huntsville Media Note: HISTORY TONIGHT: Stars starter Taylor Jungmann will need to pitch just a scoreless 1st inning tonight to set a team record for consecutive scoreless innings from their pitching staff. The current record is held by the 2000 Stars pitching staff that threw 30.2 consecutive scoreless innings. The record goes back to August 29, 2000 in a 2-0 loss at Birmingham. Then they shutout the Barons at Hoover Met 2-0, and 3-0 before Derek Lee, the all-time club leader in wins and innings pitched, blanked Mobile 10-0 in Huntsville, a complete game shutout. That set the record at 30 innings. The next day at the Joe, Al Hawkins got the first two Mobile batters out in the 1st. Then right fielder A.J. Leday homered to end the string. The Stars went on to lose 4-1. *** The "Mayor", LHP Derek Lee! Link Report memories...

Via Adam McCalvy -- (Gord) Ash expressed optimism about striking deals to extend the Brewers' player development contracts with Triple-A Nashville and Double-A Huntsville before those agreements expire this fall. Both franchises are moving into new ballparks next year, with the Double-A franchise moving to Biloxi, Miss. Ash said that PDC talks with those clubs, plus Class A Advanced Brevard County and rookie-level Helena, will probably gain steam after the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. "In both situations," Ash said, referring specifically to Nashville and Huntsville/Biloxi, "there's been good dialogue. There were some requests, and we've met all of them and both teams are playing well." Ash was in Nashville last week and met with the Sounds' new ownership. He visited the construction site of the team's future home.

Here's the McCalvy article link referenced above.

Catching up from Tuesday -- Brevard County AUDIO: RHP Austin Ross joins Andrew Luftglass on the Manatees Pregame Show AUDIO, Game Highlights: The Threshers hold off a late Brevard rally and win, 4-2