Jim Goulart

@CaseyStern Braun told us Mitch Haniger as good as any prospect to come through system during time w/ #Brewers #StrongStatement @MLBNetworkRadio

Nice items posted in recent days on Miller Park Prospects home page.

Via Tim Allen and WSSP: Minor league infielder Tucker Neuhaus Hitting Coach Johnny Narron Donovan Hand Bob Nightengale of USA Today

Audio via WSSP: Infielder Tucker Neuhaus

On Sirius/XM Thursday, Ryan Braun told MLB Network Radio that Haniger is going to be an absolute stud.

Snippets from MLB Network Radio's Day in Brewers Camp with Jim Bowden and Casey Stern: Ron Roenicke discusses OF changes, competition at 2B Doug Melvin breaks down decision to spend on Matt Garza Ryan Braun confident 2013 drama is behind him Carlos Gomez says big '13 was about freedom to swing away

Revisiting a Memorable Home Plate Collision by Jim Goulart Forum.Brewerfan.net The image. We've been chronicling the daily game exploits of every single Brewers affiliate since 2001 in what our readers have come to know as the "Link Report". The Link Report looks to promote every aspect of the Brewers' minor league system, and in particular, encourages fans to tune in to the broadcasts with convenient schedule information and media links. Postgames, we link to and highlight all local coverage of the action, and we've been blessed to have excellent web-based insights from the vast majority of affiliate outposts over the years. Thirteen years. Approximately 800 games a year. Nearly 10,000 individual games detailed during the life of the Brewerfan Link Report thus far. Yet one specific view would invariably pull me back in time... The image. It always stood out in my mind, and I'd privately harken back to it occasionally, over nearly ten years now. But today, given the timeliness of the recent rule change concerning home plate collisions, it's time to re-visit it in all its glory in public. The image -- Prince Fielder, April 29th, 2004 http://images.chattanoogan.com/photo_images/photo_4633_large.jpg That is a teenage Prince Fielder (he would turn 20 years old ten days later), in his first month as a member of the AA Huntsville Stars. This would be Prince's third pro season. This game took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Brewers defeated the then-Cincinnati affiliate by a score of 8-3. Below you will read the recollections of and see additional remarkable photo work of the play by the veteran photographer on the scene, Tim Evearitt of the Chattanoogan. You'll read how Larry Ward, the longtime Director of Broadcasting for the Lookouts, remembers the play. Most importantly, you'll meet Brian Peterson, the then 25-year-old Chattanooga catcher, who not only survived that play, but is still playing professional baseball today at age 35. And here's hoping that @RealPFielder28 gets to see this and reflect as well. Let's set the scene for you -- this text (via the Link Report) is from the Huntsville site postgame summary, written by the then-Voice of the Stars, Robert Portnoy -- They say you can hear the echoes in an old ballpark, like historic Engels Stadium in Chattanooga. The city's new venue, five-year-old Bell South Park, will resonate with the sounds of Thursday night. One of Huntsville's shining Stars, first baseman Prince Fielder, delivered a pair of blows for the ages in the Stars' 8-3 win over the Lookouts (12-9) at Bell South Park. The Stars (11-8) pushed one game in front of Birmingham atop the Southern League West. With the bases loaded and one out in the first, Fielder tried to score from second on Brad Nelson's drive to right. All three runners had to wait, as Lookout Andrew Beattie had the ball graze his glove in the rightfield corner. Ryan Knox scored from third, and Fielder trailed behind him. The relay throw almost beat Fielder to the plate, but the ball never quite made it to catcher Brian Peterson's glove before impact. Fielder leveled Peterson with a clean hit, one of the hardest anyone will ever see on a baseball diamond. A testament to toughness and courage, Peterson withstood the blow and remained in the game. With Huntsville up 6-2 in the seventh, Fielder delivered again, this time with his bat. One of those rare players who draw a crowd on the road, Fielder gave the fans what they paid to see. With father Cecil Fiedler watching from the front row, Prince launched a monstrous two-run homer, just to the right of the batter's eye in dead centerfield, his fifth of the season and first at Bell South Park. *** Tim Evearitt has been a photojournalist covering the Lookouts and Atlanta Braves for The Chattanoogan since 2000. He was for 25 years, Dr. Tim Evearitt, a professor of education at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He retired from that post in 2004. "I was standing in my usual spot next to the Stars' dugout down the third base line when I noticed Fielder racing full-speed toward third base with no intention of slowing down. I positioned myself to get a photo of Fielder and turned to capture the train wreck at home where Brian Peterson was set up to block the plate. I thought to myself, "Poor Peterson is about to get run over." As I recall, Fielder arrived just before the ball and looked like an NFL linebacker when he sent Peterson flying. Peterson ended up on his rear end wondering what happened. Fortunately, he was not injured. I talked about the play with fellow reporters but had no idea that the sequence of photos was anything special." Well, those photos were special, sir. How you managed to spin near 90 degrees and make each photo an absolute winner is beyond me. And thankfully, the sequence of seven stills is still archived at the Chattanoogan site. I heartily invite you to visit at this link, enjoy, and then return for more on "the image". *** Lookouts broadcaster Larry Ward: I do remember a thought at the time Fielder was coming in from third -- "Fielder rounds third..on his way home...Pete waiting for the ball....(collision)....Fielder is safe and Peterson is lucky he's still awake. That is one of the worst collisions I have ever seen!!!!" I have seen other contacts since but not like that one was. I am glad that they are making modifications to the home plate rule. But as players are still players...there will be a collision that may still destroy a career or an injury that shouldn't happen. It's the deliberate contacts that I think need to be stopped. http://www.chattanoogan.com/photos/2004/1/gallery.7458.jpg Longtime follower of Huntsville baseball and then-Link Report contributor David Weiser was listening to this Stars road game. He wrote that night that "you could just hear the groans through the radio". *** Brian Peterson's affiliated pro career spanned from 2000, when he signed with the Indians as an undrafted free agent out of Bellevue University (Nebraska), through 2009, including 56 games at the AAA level - seeing time in the Indians, Reds (two stints), Tigers, Astros, Pirates, Orioles, and Yankees systems. Since 2010, he's plied his craft in the independent leagues. Peterson was a Southern League All-Star and was named the league's Best Defensive Catcher in 2004, the year of "the image", posting a nice .805 OPS. Peterson was the 2003 minor league teammate of Dernell Stenson, the rising outfield star in the Reds' system who was murdered while playing in the Arizona Fall League in Phoenix. Please read these two features from J.D. Arney of the Red Reporter (2004) and Corey Brinn (2009) to learn more about Brian and his special (to this day) relationship with the Stenson family (Brian told me he still keeps in touch with Stenson's wife Sara and son Kobe). And now we read Brian Peterson's recollections -- http://www.chattanoogan.com/photos/2004/1/gallery.7459.jpg I was kind of surprised that Prince ran me over in that situation, but not mad. I remember looking up at him as he rounded third base. I started to get the feeling he wasn't going to stop. I watched the ball as long as I could and then turned my head at the last second to see where he was. I would say the ball got about 6 inches from my glove when he hit me. I'll be honest. It didn't even hurt when he hit me. I sat down with my elbows on my knees saying, "Really? Really? Well that was just awesome." I got up, finished the inning, and sat down in the dugout. I didn't feel anything from the collision until a couple days later. I went to the gym and laid back on a bench and could feel every bit of it in my lower back. Funny story though.... I actually got to first base the next inning and Prince was there. I looked at him and said, "you all right man?' He replied, "you all right?" I said, "yup, now." We talked for a few minutes in between pitches and that was it. That wasn't even the worst collision I've had. In 2000, my rookie year, I was playing in Bristol, TN for the Burlington Indians. I remember like it was yesterday. I was catching, Carlos D'Frank was pitching, Corey Smith was playing third, and Gerard McCall was running at third for the White Sox. The ball was hit to Smith's left, he fielded, spun, and threw the ball to me at home. McCall went on contact and Corey's throw was high and to the first base side of the plate, a little. I jumped up and caught it. As I came down I jerked my body to the left to try and make a tag. In doing so my mask flew off. I looked up and saw the crown of McCall's helmet, as he lowered it to run me over. His helmet hit me square in the lip/chin. I fell backwards and landed flat on my back. I looked like I was making a snow angel. He was out, but only because I fell with my palms up. Stretcher, ambulance ride, and 27 stitches later, I was back in the lineup two days later. Brian's thoughts on baseball's 2014 rule change -- I understand the rule, kind of...nobody likes sliding into catchers because of the risk of a leg/ankle injury. Some guys slide short of home or just peel off. I think it's part of the game. The biggest reason for the rule change is because it was Buster Posey who was injured. Why wasn't it brought up when Mark Teixeira crushed Bobby Wilson (in 2010), putting Bobby out for the season. And that was a situation when Teixeira could have and should have slid. There was a clear view of the plate. The rule of thumb, as I understand it, is if there's plate showing, it's an invite to slide. Some guys go out of their way to initiate contact. Half the time they would have been safe if they had slid. That one was dirty. Now a days, I treat plays at the plate as handoffs. I poke my glove in and pull it out. One of my favorites to avoid contact is, setting up behind the plate towards the righty's batter's box. I come up and catch the ball, in motion, while the runner is approaching the plate. By the time I get there, he needs to either stop or try to slide to the front of the plate. They are out every time. They think there is no play because they don't see a catcher set up on the plate. Element of surprise works for me best. *** A few thoughts to wrap things up -- http://www.chattanoogan.com/photos/2004/1/gallery.7461.jpg Notice the sub-heading on the previously linked Chattanoogan page with Tim Evearitt's photo gallery - "Catcher Brian Peterson Gets His Bell Rung". Today, that "bell rung" comment is so closely associated with concussions that it can't be just summarily tossed around anymore. With the precautions taken today at all levels of baseball, it's hard to imagine any catcher remaining in the game after such a trainwreck -- the runner as well, for that matter... *** While Brian Peterson was fortunate enough to survive his home plate collision with Prince Fielder, not everyone has been so lucky. Via Wikipedia -- On May 4, 2006, in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Todd Greene, playing for the San Francisco Giants, was seriously injured in a home-plate collision with Brewers' first baseman Prince Fielder (video). While Greene continued to play for the rest of the season, his shoulder had suffered serious structural damage. During spring training the next season, while with the San Diego Padres, Greene tore two muscles in his weakened rotator cuff while attempting a throw to second base. He never returned to professional baseball following the injury. And yes, it would seem both Fielder collisions documented here would be considered "clean" in the context of the rules pre-2014... *** The basis of this feature was not to pontificate on the new collision rule one way or another, it certainly has been debated to a great extent in the national media (and in particular by MLB catchers) this spring. Here's audio via MLB Network Radio from a couple of weeks back with the Athletics' John Jaso, and more than anything you can hear the passion Jaso brings in discussing the topic. *** Finally, I invite all of you, but particularly Brewer fans, to read the Brewerfan Minor League Link Report from that night. For followers of the Milwaukee farm system in those days, these were mighty times, and much more interesting than the big league club -- Fielder, Weeks, Hart, Hardy, and more within the linked box scores. That being said, other than Huntsville, the other three Brewer affiliates would lose by a combined score of 36-3 on this night! Amazingly, this was the very same night that Brewers AAA first baseman Jeff Liefer somehow got locked inside a dugout bathroom, forcing a 20-minute delay in the game. Yeah, this was an epic evening. My thanks to Tim Evearitt and the Chattanoogan for allowing us to link to their photos, Larry Ward, and of course, Brian Peterson.

Mike was (and I imagine still is) a blast. Those High Desert teams were dreadful, but the very late night audio (for this East Coaster) provided plenty of entertainment.

Adam McCalvy tidbit from big league camp: Ron Roenicke said non-roster catcher Robinzon Diaz was game-ready. He has been brought along slowly after breaking a hand in the Dominican Winter League.

AUDIO - WSSP's Tim Allen with: RHP Brooks Hall

AUDIO - WSSP's Tim Allen with: Via minor league camp - Victor Roache

Khris Davis and Rickie Weeks are recent additions... *** We don't link daily, but remember Tom Haudricourt on ESPN 540 is a weekday staple, catch up here. *** WSSP's Tim Allen with: Rickie Weeks Via minor league camp - Victor Roache Brooks Hall Khris Davis Brian Anderson Tim's the guest as he chats with Bill Michaels *** Another staple, the Brewers' site video page *** If you have access to Sirius/XM radio, MLB Network Radio visits Brewers' camp Thursday, two hours of recorded videos with Casey Stern and Jim Bowden, 5:00 - 7:00 PM - we'll post the few snippets they make available tonight.

Barely worth a mention (has SportsMedia101.com ever broken a story?), but this author tosses Brewers interest in swingman David Phelps out there as part of a possible Weeks trade with the Yankees. Nothing else on the web even hints at a Brewers-Phelps connection, so not even initiating its own thread for now.

WSSP and Tim Allen roll on: Carlos Gomez Ryan Braun Rob Wooten Hiram Burgos

The Brewers also tweeted out the minor league spring training game schedule, hopefully we have access to raw box scores again this season.

The Brewers Player Development Twitter account gave us a list of the Brewers minor leaguers reporting to Maryvale. Keep in mind this list does not include 40-man roster members or the non-roster camp invites. Two players not listed are 23-year-old OF Dionis Hinojosa (Helena 2013), who is rehabbing an injury in his native Dominican Republic, and 25-year-old RHP Matt Miller (Brevard 2013) the 2010 5th rounder out of the University of Michigan, who is apparently considering retirement. One thing to watch is which Dominican Summer League players from 2013 have been invited to Maryvale. While some may return to the DSL in 2014, expect most to play in Maryvale this summer, maybe even Helena. 19-year-old RHP Miguel Diaz (1.171 WHIP in 2013, nice) 20-year-old Venezuelan RHP Victor Diaz (14 appearances, 11 starts in 2013) 20-year-old corner infielder Sthervin Matos (the only "Sthervin" in professional baseball history) 21-year-old catcher Natanael Mejia (.737 OPS in 2013, strong for the DSL) 20-year-old middle infielder Greg Munoz (.376 OBP in his 2013 pro debut) 23-year-old OF/C Leudi Otano (even played a game at second base in 2013) 22-year-old RHP Felix Paulino (1.07 ERA in 25.1 2013 relief innings) 19-year-old 2B/3B Jorge Quiterio (.785 OPS in rookie season, including five HR's in power-difficult league) 19-year-old (20 next month) Puerto Rico native RHP Josh Torres (nice peripherals in 15 2013 games, four of those starts) 20-year-old (21 next month) RHP Angel Ventura (1.15 WHIP in 2013, 65 K's in 60 IP, sweet) *** Also in camp, as he was last year, is key prospect SS Carlos Belonis, still just 19 years old, who broke his thumb in the second game of the 2013 DSL season and missed the rest of the summer action.

As per his own tweet -- Thankful for my time broadcasting the @helenabrewers and excited to be joining the great staff of @66ersBaseball in San Bernardino. That would be the awesome Steve Wendt, who has treated us to his calls from Helena since 2004. The new dad to daughter Sloan (congrats to Steve and Emma) had lived in California prior to and around his Helena gig, so this new position with Inland Empire of the high-A California League makes a lot of sense. Video profile from last summer I've heard more of Steve's calls than any other announcer of the Link Report era, often flipping over to those Mountain Time broadcasts of the rookie kids right after big league Brewer games. What a pro. Many of the Brewers farmhands up and down the chain conducted their first on-air interviews with Steve, many of those archived the past couple of years. Steve was fantastic in that role. Tough shoes to fill, much future success awaits, Steve. Enjoy and thanks!

Even more Via WSSP and Tim Allen in Maryvale: Tom Gorzelanny Jim Henderson Johnny Hellweg

More Via WSSP and Tim Allen in Maryvale: Hunter Morris Mike Fiers Will Smith

Baseball Prospectus Podcast -- 2014 Season Preview Series: Milwaukee Brewers, Jack Moore with Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller

MINOR DETAILS: Joining the team today from minor-league camp: RHP Johnnie Lowe (#97). *** The soon-to-be 29-year-old former White Sox farmhand did not see action Monday.

Via WSSP and Tim Allen in Maryvale: Mark Reynolds Jeff Bianchi Zach Duke Via WSSP and the Bill Michaels' Show: Tim Allen OnMilwaukee.com's Jim Owczarski Jeff Cirillo

Revisiting a Memorable Home Plate Collision by Jim Goulart Brewerfan.net The image. We've been chronicling the daily game exploits of every single Brewers affiliate since 2001 in what our readers have come to know as the "Link Report". The Link Report looks to promote every aspect of the Brewers' minor league system, and in particular, encourages fans to tune in to the broadcasts with convenient schedule information and media links. Postgames, we link to and highlight all local coverage of the action, and we've been blessed to have excellent web-based insights from the vast majority of affiliate outposts over the years. Thirteen years. Approximately 800 games a year. Nearly 10,000 individual games detailed during the life of the Brewerfan Link Report thus far. Yet one specific view would invariably pull me back in time... The image. It always stood out in my mind, and I'd privately harken back to it occasionally, over nearly ten years now. But today, given the timeliness of the recent rule change concerning home plate collisions, it's time to re-visit it in all its glory in public. The image -- Prince Fielder, April 29th, 2004 http://images.chattanoogan.com/photo_images/photo_4633_large.jpg That is a teenage Prince Fielder (he would turn 20 years old ten days later), in his first month as a member of the AA Huntsville Stars. This would be Prince's third pro season. This game took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Brewers defeated the then-Cincinnati affiliate by a score of 8-3. Below you will read the recollections of and see additional remarkable photo work of the play by the veteran photographer on the scene, Tim Evearitt of the Chattanoogan. You'll read how Larry Ward, the longtime Director of Broadcasting for the Lookouts, remembers the play. Most importantly, you'll meet Brian Peterson, the then 25-year-old Chattanooga catcher, who not only survived that play, but is still playing professional baseball today at age 35. And here's hoping that @RealPFielder28 gets to see this and reflect as well. Let's set the scene for you -- this text (via the Link Report) is from the Huntsville site postgame summary, written by the then-Voice of the Stars, Robert Portnoy -- They say you can hear the echoes in an old ballpark, like historic Engels Stadium in Chattanooga. The city's new venue, five-year-old Bell South Park, will resonate with the sounds of Thursday night. One of Huntsville's shining Stars, first baseman Prince Fielder, delivered a pair of blows for the ages in the Stars' 8-3 win over the Lookouts (12-9) at Bell South Park. The Stars (11-8) pushed one game in front of Birmingham atop the Southern League West. With the bases loaded and one out in the first, Fielder tried to score from second on Brad Nelson's drive to right. All three runners had to wait, as Lookout Andrew Beattie had the ball graze his glove in the rightfield corner. Ryan Knox scored from third, and Fielder trailed behind him. The relay throw beat Fielder to the plate, and the ball popped out of catcher Brian Peterson's glove just before impact. Fielder leveled Peterson with a clean hit, one of the hardest anyone will ever see on a baseball diamond. A testament to toughness and courage, Peterson withstood the blow and remained in the game. With Huntsville up 6-2 in the seventh, Fielder delivered again, this time with his bat. One of those rare players who draw a crowd on the road, Fielder gave the fans what they paid to see. With father Cecil Fiedler watching from the front row, Prince launched a monstrous two-run homer, just to the right of the batter's eye in dead centerfield, his fifth of the season and first at Bell South Park. *** Tim Evearitt has been a photojournalist covering the Lookouts and Atlanta Braves for The Chattanoogan since 2000. He was for 25 years, Dr. Tim Evearitt, a professor of education at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He retired from that post in 2004. "I was standing in my usual spot next to the Stars' dugout down the third base line when I noticed Fielder racing full-speed toward third base with no intention of slowing down. I positioned myself to get a photo of Fielder and turned to capture the train wreck at home where Brian Peterson was set up to block the plate. I thought to myself, "Poor Peterson is about to get run over." As I recall, Fielder arrived just before the ball and looked like an NFL linebacker when he sent Peterson flying. Peterson ended up on his rear end wondering what happened. Fortunately, he was not injured. I talked about the play with fellow reporters but had no idea that the sequence of photos was anything special." Well, those photos were special, sir. How you managed to spin near 90 degrees and make each photo an absolute winner is beyond me. And thankfully, the sequence of seven stills is still archived at the Chattanoogan site. I heartily invite you to visit at this link, enjoy, and then return for more on "the image". *** Lookouts broadcaster Larry Ward: I do remember a thought at the time Fielder was coming in from third -- "Fielder rounds third..on his way home...Pete waiting for the ball....(collision)....Fielder is safe and Peterson is lucky he's still awake. That is one of the worst collisions I have ever seen!!!!" I have seen other contacts since but not like that one was. I am glad that they are making modifications to the home plate rule. But as players are still players...there will be a collision that may still destroy a career or an injury that shouldn't happen. It's the deliberate contacts that I think need to be stopped. http://www.chattanoogan.com/photos/2004/1/gallery.7458.jpg Longtime follower of Huntsville baseball and then-Link Report contributor David Weiser was listening to this Stars road game. He wrote that night that "you could just hear the groans through the radio". *** Brian Peterson's affiliated pro career spanned from 2000, when he signed with the Indians as an undrafted free agent out of Bellevue University (Nebraska), through 2009, including 56 games at the AAA level - seeing time in the Indians, Reds (two stints), Tigers, Astros, Pirates, Orioles, and Yankees systems. Since 2010, he's plied his craft in the independent leagues. Peterson was a Southern League All-Star and was named the league's Best Defensive Catcher in 2004, the year of "the image", posting a nice .805 OPS. Peterson was the 2003 minor league teammate of Dernell Stenson, the rising outfield star in the Reds' system who was murdered while playing in the Arizona Fall League in Phoenix. Please read these two features from J.D. Arney of the Red Reporter (2004) and Corey Brinn (2009) to learn more about Brian and his special (to this day) relationship with the Stenson family (Brian told me he still keeps in touch with Stenson's wife Sara and son Kobe). And now we read Brian Peterson's recollections -- http://www.chattanoogan.com/photos/2004/1/gallery.7459.jpg I was kind of surprised that Prince ran me over in that situation, but not mad. I remember looking up at him as he rounded third base. I started to get the feeling he wasn't going to stop. I watched the ball as long as I could and then turned my head at the last second to see where he was. I would say the ball got about 6 inches from my glove when he hit me. I'll be honest. It didn't even hurt when he hit me. I sat down with my elbows on my knees saying, "Really? Really? Well that was just awesome." I got up, finished the inning, and sat down in the dugout. I didn't feel anything from the collision until a couple days later. I went to the gym and laid back on a bench and could feel every bit of it in my lower back. Funny story though.... I actually got to first base the next inning and Prince was there. I looked at him and said, "you all right man?' He replied, "you all right?" I said, "yup, now." We talked for a few minutes in between pitches and that was it. That wasn't even the worst collision I've had. In 2000, my rookie year, I was playing in Bristol, TN for the Burlington Indians. I remember like it was yesterday. I was catching, Carlos D'Frank was pitching, Corey Smith was playing third, and Gerard McCall was running at third for the White Sox. The ball was hit to Smith's left, he fielded, spun, and threw the ball to me at home. McCall went on contact and Corey's throw was high and to the first base side of the plate, a little. I jumped up and caught it. As I came down I jerked my body to the left to try and make a tag. In doing so my mask flew off. I looked up and saw the crown of McCall's helmet, as he lowered it to run me over. His helmet hit me square in the lip/chin. I fell backwards and landed flat on my back. I looked like I was making a snow angel. He was out, but only because I fell with my palms up. Stretcher, ambulance ride, and 27 stitches later, I was back in the lineup two days later. Brian's thoughts on baseball's 2014 rule change -- I understand the rule, kind of...nobody likes sliding into catchers because of the risk of a leg/ankle injury. Some guys slide short of home or just peel off. I think it's part of the game. The biggest reason for the rule change is because it was Buster Posey who was injured. Why wasn't it brought up when Mark Teixeira crushed Bobby Wilson (in 2010), putting Bobby out for the season. And that was a situation when Teixeira could have and should have slid. There was a clear view of the plate. The rule of thumb, as I understand it, is if there's plate showing, it's an invite to slide. Some guys go out of their way to initiate contact. Half the time they would have been safe if they had slid. That one was dirty. Now a days, I treat plays at the plate as handoffs. I poke my glove in and pull it out. One of my favorites to avoid contact is, setting up behind the plate towards the righty's batter's box. I come up and catch the ball, in motion, while the runner is approaching the plate. By the time I get there, he needs to either stop or try to slide to the front of the plate. They are out every time. They think there is no play because they don't see a catcher set up on the plate. Element of surprise works for me best. *** A few thoughts to wrap things up -- http://www.chattanoogan.com/photos/2004/1/gallery.7461.jpg Notice the sub-heading on the previously linked Chattanoogan page with Tim Evearitt's photo gallery - "Catcher Brian Peterson Gets His Bell Rung". Today, that "bell rung" comment is so closely associated with concussions that it can't be just summarily tossed around anymore. With the precautions taken today at all levels of baseball, it's hard to imagine any catcher remaining in the game after such a trainwreck -- the runner as well, for that matter... *** While Brian Peterson was fortunate enough to survive his home plate collision with Prince Fielder, not everyone has been so lucky. Via Wikipedia -- On May 4, 2006, in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Todd Greene, playing for the San Francisco Giants, was seriously injured in a home-plate collision with Brewers' first baseman Prince Fielder (video). While Greene continued to play for the rest of the season, his shoulder had suffered serious structural damage. During spring training the next season, while with the San Diego Padres, Greene tore two muscles in his weakened rotator cuff while attempting a throw to second base. He never returned to professional baseball following the injury. And yes, it would seem both Fielder collisions documented here would be considered "clean" in the context of the rules pre-2014... *** The basis of this feature was not to pontificate on the new collision rule one way or another, it certainly has been debated to a great extent in the national media (and in particular by MLB catchers) this spring. Here's audio via MLB Network Radio from a couple of weeks back with the Athletics' John Jaso, and more than anything you can hear the passion Jaso brings in discussing the topic. *** Finally, I invite all of you, but particularly Brewer fans, to read the Brewerfan Minor League Link Report from that night. For followers of the Milwaukee farm system in those days, these were mighty times, and much more interesting than the big league club -- Fielder, Weeks, Hart, Hardy, and more within the linked box scores. That being said, other than Huntsville, the other three Brewer affiliates would lose by a combined score of 36-3 on this night! Amazingly, this was the very same night that Brewers AAA first baseman Jeff Liefer somehow got locked inside a dugout bathroom, forcing a 20-minute delay in the game. Yeah, this was an epic evening. My thanks to Tim Evearitt and the Chattanoogan for allowing us to link to their photos, Larry Ward, and of course, Brian Peterson.

Here we go again...happily. I will be kicking off each day's Minor League Link Report for a 14th year. Also will be back-filling early mornings with newspaper reports, video, audio, etc. Quality contributions as in 2013 will be critical to the Link Report's health, timeliness, and overall importance and entertainment to the Brewer minor league community and fandom. To be honest, even when the Dominican Summer League kicks in, there should be no real struggle until the two rookie seasons begin, if we have enough hands on deck available. Covering the top four clubs in fun detail should be a piece of cake if contributors are willing to give a proper shout-out when a particular night might be difficult to do in a timely manner. Switch off, trade off, take turns with your affiliate to keep things fresh for yourselves and the readers, etc. That being said, while fun, it is a commitment, so we need you to remember it's a "labor" of love. We are open to having new blood as well. We are looking for "reporters" to document a single game score (with links to box score / game log) on a nightly basis. If you're on this forum now, you likely already have a good sense of what a Link Report entails (sample). You will copy and paste (but also link to) the game stories provided by the good folks at our affiliate websites. It would be appreciated, whenever possible, that you note particular items you might find of interest to the fandom that might be otherwise buried within the box and log. There may be those willing to contribute who may not be visiting us on a regular basis just yet. Let's see who has chimed in as of let's say, March 24th (three weeks from now), and then we can determine how duties can be shared. Thanks to all in advance!

From Sunday via the Brewers Media Notes: Joining the team today from minor-league camp: RHP Tyler Cravy (#95) and RHP Andy Moye (#93). Neither saw action...