Jim Goulart

Rattler Radio Blog - Now updated

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interviews: RHP Chris Razo talks about his early success in the minors and the transition to pitching out of the bullpen Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Jeff Mester talks about his job and the process of keeping players healthy

Includes audio links below -- Stars Win Streak Snapped By Blue Wahoos Alex Cohen, Huntsville Stars Looking for a season-high fourth consecutive victory, the Huntsville Stars fell on the short side of a back-and-forth affair with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos by a score of 7-5 on Sunday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Unlike the first three games of the series, it was the Stars that faced an early deficit. Against starting pitcher Ariel Pena in the first inning, the Blue Wahoos used a one-out walk and single by third baseman Mike Costanzo and outfielder Yorman Rodriguez respectively to their advantage. One batter after an RBI single by outfielder Donald Lutz, an RBI groundout from catcher Tucker Barnhart put Pensacola up by two. After the Stars cut their deficit in half in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Nick Shaw, Pensacola duplicated that output in the bottom of the frame on another run-scoring groundout by Barnhart to make the score 3-1. One inning later, the Stars put together an offensive surge much like they did the previous night. To lead off the frame, first baseman Jason Rogers lofted a solo homer off of Blue Wahoos starter Josh Smith well over the left-field wall to cut the Pensacola lead to 3-2 (audio). For Rogers, the homer was his fourth in his last two games and now gives him 14 on the season, tying him for the team-high with outfielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Fortunately for Huntsville, they were not nearly done offensively in the sixth inning. After a double from third baseman Mike Walker and a walk to Kjeldgaard, Blue Wahoos reliever Drew Hayes (W, 3-2) served up a three-run homer to shortstop Hector Gomez that put the Stars on top 5-3 (audio). The homer for Gomez was his first in 247 at-bats this season. However, that Stars lead would not last for long. With reliever Arcenio Leon (L, 1-6) on in the seventh inning, a leadoff walk by outfielder Corey Wimberly and a two-run homer from Mike Costanzo tied up the ballgame before Leon could record an out. Following another walk from Leon and a pitching change by the Stars, an RBI triple from Lutz off of righty Greg Holle put Pensacola up for good. The Blue Wahoos tacked on an insurance run one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Barnhart. To nail down the victory for Pensacola, righty Trevor Bell sent down the Stars scoreless in the ninth for his sixth save of the season. On offense, the Stars spread out seven hits between six players, as Walker was the only player with a multi-hit game. The loss for the Stars snaps their winning-streak at three games, as they have been unable to reach four consecutive wins on five separate occasions this season. On Monday, the Stars will wrap up a five-game series at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Huntsville will send RHP Andy Moye (4-10, 4.37 ERA) to the bump while Pensacola will counter with RHP Shaun Ellis (3-1, 3.55 ERA). First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

Just catching up while listening to an impressive Helena team performance Sunday evening, as Brad told us about new DSL infielder Roosevert Chal Friday night in his Link Report entry which included a unique DSL scouting video peek (no cage, good contact every pitch).

Tonight's Maryvale game is postponed, falling victim to the rare Arizona "wet grounds". Since the A-Crew only meet the Giants one more time, and it's tomorrow in Maryvale (Monday 7/22), guessing we'll prepare for two seven-inning games in the next Link Report.

VIDEO from Friday: Michael Ratterree goes yard in Helena's 7-6 win over Idaho Falls So now we've linked to all three Ratterree HR's from that Idaho Falls series, all conveniently found here. So Ratterree picks the only site thus far with Pioneer League MiLB.TV status for his heroics. Bet he can't wait for the only other MiLB.TV series in Grand Junction in August .

Well, Alex Gonzalez is on the list without credit too, but point well taken in Scotty Po's case...

You know, Robinzon Diaz will be 30 years old in September, he will never, ever draw a walk, but playing 3rd base as much as he has lately, and with the ability to be the 3rd catcher in Milwaukee, one could see his addition to the 40-man roster as part of a Yuni B. exit plan. Just sayin'.... Also and related, Stephen Parker was given an incredible opportunity for 2013, and did not snatch it at all.

Hard to believe the Brewers have been in Brevard County since 2005, leaving High Desert (Adelanto, California) after 2004. The Manatees have been around for 20 years now, and front office staff just named their All-Time Team: • Outfielders: Scott Podsednik (1996), Randy Winn (1997), Grady Sizemore (2002), Ryan Braun (2006). • Infielders: Edgar Renteria (1994), Kevin Millar (1995), Alex Gonzalez (1995), Alcides Escobar (2006). • Catchers: Mike Redmond (1994), Jonathan Lucroy (2008). • Pitchers: Ryan Dempster (1997), A.J. Burnett (2000), Brad Penny (2000), Josh Beckett (2001), Chris Young (2003), Yovani Gallardo (2006), Bryan Harvey (1994), Chad Cordero (2003), John Axford (2008-09). • Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (1994-96)

Helena 2013 4th round RHP Taylor Williams is celebrating his 22nd birthday with a nice start today. Also blowing out candles is Nashville closer Rob Wooten, #28.

STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern 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 DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris Division *** NOTE: To view first half or overall standings for Huntsville, Brevard County, and Wisconsin, you'll notice options at the respective links for that. Otherwise it's second-half standings as the default view for those three leagues.

Look for Nashville and Wisconsin media notes at the links just prior to their game times. New this season: Brevard County has media notes; as of now, it's a unique link each day, but look for it just prior to game time each day within the "Stats and Scores" banner here. Also new this season: Helena has media notes; it's a unique link each day, but look for it just prior to game time each day within the "Stats and Scores" banner here.

Follow Sunday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale DSL All-Star Game New MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

Rattler Radio Blog - Postgame Entry

Programming Notes: Pensacola has MiLB.TV coverage, so if you're a subscriber, you can watch this Huntsville series (live and/or archived). Dayton also has MiLB.TV coverage, so if you're a subscriber, you can watch this Wisconsin series (live and/or archived).

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: RHP Jimmy Nelson at New Orleans (Marlins), 5:40 PM pre-game, 6:00 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 $39.99 season-long package ($9.99 to pay for a single month). The audio feed is from the home team. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. ********** Huntsville: RHP Ariel Pena at Pensacola (Reds), 3:45 PM pre-game, 4:00 gametime Free Live Audio Link Alex Cohen is the play-by-play voice of the Stars; follow him on Twitter @alexmcohen. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast. It appears four Southern League teams air their home games on MiLB.TV, and we'll let you know when those dates pop up on the schedule ********** Brevard County: LHP Brent Suter at home vs. Fort Myers (Twins), 3:35 PM pre-game, 4:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the link based on listed schedule Manatees audio, hooray! Dave Walkovic is the first play-by-play voice of the 'Tees since 2007, he's joined by Andy Towne; 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, we'll let you know that. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Jorge Lopez at Dayton (Reds), 12:40 PM pre-game, 1:00 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. MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; Wisconsin is one of four Midwest League clubs that have all their home games available via MiLB.TV. So for the $39.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, Stars' road games from four Southern League locales, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games. ********** Helena: RHP Taylor Williams at Ogden (Dodgers), 4:40 PM pre-game, 5:00 gametime Free Live Audio Link Voice of the Helena Brewers Steve Wendt is back on board, and this year he's added Twitter to the mix @steve_wendt. We've been treated to Steve's work for many years now (ten!); he is among the very best at the art of the pre-game interview, especially considering how at ease he makes all these first-time professional ballplayers. MiLB.TV -- When the H-Crew makes their way to Grand Junction (August), those games will be available for viewing online. ********** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Giants' complex in Scottsdale; 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league ********** DSL Brewers: All-Star game is today -- OF's Leudi Otano and Yunior Santana will represent the Cerveceritos. It's AL vs. NL.

AUDIO from Alex: Highlights of the Stars 10-5 over the Blue Wahoos, including all three Jason Rogers homers

VIDEO: Huntsville's Jason Rogers caps a three-homer night with a two-run blast

Stars' Rogers homers three times Brewers prospect ends drought with record-tying effort By Brandon Simes / MiLB.com Jason Rogers took the Southern League lead in RBIs Saturday night. (Mike Janes/Four Seam Images) http://www.milb.com/assets/images/6/6/4/54237664/cuts/rogers_84k0nwsh_0oa545m1.jpg It had been 40 days and 40 nights without a home run for Jason Rogers, but the Huntsville first baseman opened the floodgates Saturday night. Rogers became the third player in team history to record a three-homer game, establishing career highs with four hits and six RBIs in the Stars' 10-5 win over Pensacola at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. "It felt good. It's the first time I've ever hit three home runs -- in pro ball, college or anything," the Brewers prospect said. Rogers started the night inauspiciously, striking out to lead off the second inning and making it 144 at-bats since he hit his last home run on May 27 against Tennessee. "The guys were talking about [the home run drought] in batting practice. We talk about it all the time," he said. "They were wondering about when I was going to hit one." The drought ended in the fourth when Rogers launched a two-run shot over the left-field fence off Blue Wahoos starter Tim Crabbe. The 6-foot-2 right-handed batter blasted a solo homer to the same spot leading off the sixth against 7'1" reliever Loek Van Mil, mixed in an RBI single in the seventh and ended his night with another two-run blast to left in the ninth off Trevor Bell. The 25-year-old went 4-for-5 and is 9-for-16 over his last five games. The recent success has been a nice change of pace for Rogers, who posted a .384 OPS in June after notching a .904 OPS with eight home runs in May. "My timing was off, I wasn't getting my foot down, fatigue set in a little bit, there was a lack of concentration here and there, and I wasn't really seeing the ball," Rogers said. "Now I'm trying to really see the ball, get the foot down." A slightly strained left oblique muscle -- which he said hasn't fully healed -- cost the first baseman an appearance in the Southern League All-Star Game. The silver lining turned out to be almost a full week off and "no swings for two or three days," according to Rogers. "I spent a lot of time with my family, with my wife. She was treating me, helping me out. I got a lot of treatment, me and the trainer [Steve Patera] did a lot of work," he said. The Georgia native joined Jose Canseco (June 24, 1985) and Pete Zoccolillo (Aug. 23, 2002) as the only Stars to hit three homers in a game. "It's an honor," Rogers said. "[Canseco] was a big leaguer, I'm trying to get there." History note - Pete was, too! - MH Rogers leads the league with 59 RBIs and moved into a tie for fifth with 13 homers, three behind Jacksonville's Kyle Jensen. "I should have a lot more [RBIs], I left a lot of guys on base," he said. "Guys have been getting on for me, I should have driven them in." David Goforth (4-1) earned the win by allowing a hit and striking out a pair over three innings in his first relief appearance of the season. Brewers top prospect Taylor Jungmann started for Huntsville and gave up four runs on nine hits in four innings.

Rogers, Offense Carries Stars to Win By Alex Cohen / Huntsville Stars After scoring just four combined runs in the last two nights, the Huntsville Stars offense broke out with a season-high 17 hits en route to a 10-5 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Saturday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Despite the high score totals, the offensive barrage didn't start until the fourth inning where the Stars offense began to break out against Pensacola starting pitcher Tim Crabbe. With second baseman Nick Shaw on first after a one-out single, a two-run homer from first baseman Jason Rogers just crept over the left-field wall to put the Stars on the board. Later in the inning, an RBI triple from catcher Adam Weisenburger and an RBI single from outfielder Eric Patterson put the Stars up 4-0. Unfortunately for Huntsville, that lead would be short-lived. In the bottom half of the fourth inning, Pensacola tied up the game with four runs of their own off of Stars starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann. The inning was highlighted by an RBI double from outfielder Corey Wimberly and RBI singles from outfielder Yorman Rodriguez and shortstop Devin Lohman. A throwing error by Jungmann on the single from Lohman allowed the final run of the inning to score for Pensacola. From that point on, the rest of the game belonged to the Stars and Rogers. In addition to his fourth inning two-run home run, the 25-year-old came through with a solo homer in the sixth inning, RBI single in the seventh inning and another two-run homer in the ninth inning. Overall, he was 4-for-5 on the night with three homers and six runs batted in. Rogers is the first Stars player since Pete Zoccolillo in 2002 to hit three homers in one game. He is the third player in Huntsville history to reach the milestone (Zoccolillo, Jose Canseco). Prior to Saturday, Rogers had not homered since May 27 against Tennessee, a span of seven weeks. Huntsville got an RBI triple from Shaw and an RBI single from Rene Tosoni to account for their other runs in the ninth inning. The Stars offense out-scored Pensacola 6-1 in the final four innings of the game to help them cruise to victory. Out of their season-high 17 hits, every slot in the Stars lineup (1-9) had at least one hit. Aside from Rogers, the Stars were paced by three hits from Shaw and two hits from both outfielder Chadwin Stang and third baseman Mike Walker. The two-hit night for Stang was his second in as many nights. On the pitching side, Jungmann was tabbed with his second straight no-decision, giving up four runs on seven hits in four innings. Earning the win for Huntsville was righty David Goforth as he blanked the Pensacola bats through three innings to improve to 4-1 on the season in his first relief appearance with the Stars. Dating back to his previous two starts, Goforth has not given up a run in his last 17 innings pitched. The win for the Stars was their third straight in Pensacola and clinched a series victory against the Blue Wahoos. Huntsville has now won four of their last five games and owns a 10-6 record during the month of July. On Sunday, the Stars will play game four of a five-game series at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Huntsville will send RHP Ariel Pena (5-7, 3.47 ERA) to the bump while Pensacola will counter with RHP Josh Smith (7-8, 3.72). First pitch is at 4 PM.

VIDEO from Friday: Shawn Zarraga collects an RBI in Huntsville's 3-2 win over Pensacola

Archer named Man of the Year by Thomas Corhern, Cookeville (TN) Herald-Citizen COOKEVILLE — Balancing academics, community service and athletics is a tremendous task. As shown last week as Kellie Cook was announced as the winner of the Tennessee Tech Woman of the Year award, it takes an exceptional committment to the ideals of the university and the overarching goal of a diploma in one hand and a championship ring on the other. It is by no means an easy one. But nothing worthwhile is. Among the nine student-athletes nominated for the Man of the Year award are champions on the court, scholars in the classroom and beacons in the community. Every one of the nominated student-athletes were worthy of the award, whether it was reigning Male Athlete of the Year Syrym Abdukhalikov from tennis, basketball’s Terrell Barnes, Cookeville native Taylor Hennigan from football, golfer Greg Kitts, football’s Tre Lamb, Adam McLeod from cross country, or baseball’s Austin Wulf and Nick Price. But through the committee’s deliberation, the choice was a well-deserved one for Tech senior pitcher Tristan Archer. “I’m honored,” Archer said. “This is a great group of student-athletes and it’s just amazing to be recognized among these guys.” The selection was not a surprise to his former coach. “Man, there’s just so many ways you can describe Tristan,” said Tech baseball coach Matt Bragga. “On the mound, he’s just a warrior. He just goes about his business. He’s a very level-headed guy, but the part of his demeanor that a lot of people can’t see is that he is a warrior. From the outside, you’d never know how fierce of a competitor this guy is, but off the field, the best way to describe him is a gentleman to the fullest. “He’s just a neat young man. He never gets flustered with anything. He always stays level-headed. He was a great leader, was one of our captains this year and you don’t get that without good leadership skills because our guys vote on that. That says volumes on what they think of him.” A four-year starter for the Golden Eagle baseball team, Archer spent the season rewriting the Tech record books, claiming the top spots in wins (23), starts (55) and innings pitched (323 2/3). He ranks second in career strikeouts with 273. This season, Archer recorded nine wins in his fifteen starts, with two complete games to his credit. He struck out 97 batters this season and had a 3.34 earned run average. A member of the Ohio Valley Conference’s all-Freshman team in 2010, Archer lived up to his promise through the course of his career. Archer is also one of the few players who have been able to come through the Tech program with two championship rings, winning both the 2010 and 2013 regular-season championships. “When he was leaving, he looked at me and said, ‘Coach, there aren’t many people at many schools who got to have two rings,’” Bragga said. “I’m like that’s a great point. To win two championships in his four years here, that doesn’t happen often. He was an integral part of that process to get this program where it’s at today.” Archer added, “I came in as a freshman and won a championship, had two years in the middle that were a little rough, then this past year with another championship and a record-setting year with 40 wins, that’s just awesome.” At the conclusion of the season, Archer was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the Major League Baseball entry draft and currently plays with the Helena Brewers in the minor league ranks. “He’s a great player,” Bragga said. “I know he’s not off to a great start in the minors, but he’s not off to a bad start either. To me, he’s a guy that I really believe that can pitch in the big leagues. He’s that good. He’s not the hardest thrower we’ve ever had and may not have the best breaking ball, but he’s got a really good fastball, plus breaking ball, plus change-up and the demeanor that fits it all.” Archer added, “It’s going well. We started our first long road trip, but it’s going good. I’ve made one start with five appearances so far. It’s been great. There are a lot of good guys up here too. It’s not a whole lot different, but I love getting to throw to wood bats now. That’s for sure. That’s definitely my favorite part of the whole thing.” In the classroom, Archer excelled, earning six selections to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, a pick to the 2011-12 OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and twice on the Dean’s List. “Academically, he did it for four years,” Bragga said. “He’s just been phenomenal. You never had to worry about Tristan taking care of his business. Not that we have anybody we have to worry about, but he just focused on his work and gets it done and does everything right.” And what most people don’t realize about baseball is the way the schedule works out, the team could play four to five games a week, with travel and practices as well, making it incredibly hard to focus on academics. That’s what makes the feat even more impressive. “It’s tough,” Bragga said. “Absolutely, it’s tough. That’s just something he did a phenomenal job with. Occassionally he’d have to miss part of practice to be in class, but he’d be back afterwards talking with our coaches to see what he had missed and making it up. He’s going to get his work in.” Archer added, “We’re on the road a whole lot through the season. Some time during the week, we’ll usually be gone at some point, but we still try to devote time to getting our academic work done.” Community service is also a big part of the equation. Archer spent time as a bell ringer for the Cookeville Rescue Mission, worked several field day events for Putnam County schools, assisting at the Fall FunFest and helping run the Golden Eagle Baseball School’s annual high school elite camp. “We’ve always had plenty of opportunities to go out and give back to the community,” Archer said. “Tristan, in his time here, has gone to elementary schools,” Bragga said. “He’s worked with them and read to them. He is involved in the community in so many ways. He understands that there’s a lot more to playing baseball on the collegiate level than just playing the game. There’s the academic side that he took care of and there’s an off-the-field side where he’s made great decisions and heavily involved in the community.” Tennessee Tech pitcher Tristan Archer was named the Tech Athletics Man of the Year. (Tony Marable | Herald-Citizen) http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/971/assets/CX71_HCArcher.jpg

Timber Rattlers Profile: Austin Blaski, pitcher by Mike Woods, Post-Crescent Media Leading off Age: 22. Height, weight: 6-4, 200. Residence: Pandora, Ohio. College: Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio. Acquired: Selected by the Brewers in the 21st round of the 2012 first-year player draft. Position: Starting pitcher. Bats/throws: Right/right. Notes: On the disabled list. Is 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 games with the Rattlers. Has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 30-20. Has given up 40 hits in 53 2⁄3 innings. Was named a 2013 Midwest League All-Star. Helped lead Marietta College to back-to-back NCAA Division III championships in the College World Series at Fox Cities Stadium. Went 13-1 with 1.23 ERA to earn Division III National Pitcher of the Year honors as a senior. Named Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 College World Series. Favorites MLB team growing up: “I’m from Ohio, so the Reds.” Player: “Growing up, probably Ken Griffey Jr.” TV Show: “I’ve always like sports so I would say ‘SportsCenter.’ ” Food: “Probably go with brisket.” Job as a kid: “An umpire when I was in high school. Everyone was pretty well behaved.” Place to go in Appleton: “I would say here, the games, is the most fun for me. You get good crowds; it’s a fun place to play.” Q&A Q: On your poster day, how impressed were you with your poster? A: “It’s pretty good. They’ve got me in the Sunday uniform and that’s always good — it’s the best uniform. I’m pretty impressed.” Q: What are you going to do with them? A: “Probably just give them to my family and keep a few of them. It’s a nice little thing they do here.” Q: Are you going to hang one up at home? A: “I’ll probably give a couple to my host family. I’m sure they’ll do something with it.” Q: You almost didn’t play baseball coming out of high school. Why? A: “I don’t know, really. I was just OK in high school, wasn’t that good. So I really didn’t have any offers or scholarships.” Q: How’d you get steered toward Marietta? A: “Actually, my high school coach went to Marietta so he kind of had ties there. I went with it and it worked out well.” Q: You won back-to-back World Series at Fox Cities Stadium. Is there one memory from those trips that sticks out? A: “I’d say the dog piles on the field after we won, especially the first year because it was our first one. The second one was our senior year so that was our last game and that was pretty special. The end result of your final game is a win — not many people have that.” Q: What was it like to have your name called in the draft? A: “It was nice. It was a great experience for me. I was with my family. We had it pulled up on the internet. It was something not very many people get to experience.” Q: How quickly did you make the connection that you could return to Fox Cities Stadium? A: “A little bit. I knew I probably wouldn’t go my first year, but my second year I’m back here so that’s great. Just to revisit and think about all the memories we had here as a college team.” Q: What was it like to walk back in here? A: “It was nice. The first thing I thought of is all the great things we did here. All the people I still keep in touch with and are still great friends to me just because of what we did and how close we were.” Q: You’ve had some early success here. How much do your attribute it to being comfortable with your past success here? A: “Not really, I don’t think that plays too much of a part. I mean, I feel any stadium is about the same. The mound is the same distance from home, and that’s what I try to think about. Not really the place.” Q: What was it like to be named an all-star? A: “It’s a great honor that will be on your resume as long as you’re playing. It was just a great honor. The game was great. I didn’t get to pitch but I had a great time with all the other all-stars, getting to know them a little bit. It was awesome.” Q: What are you working on right now? A: “Right now, it’s just getting healthy so I can get back to pitching. Before, it was getting all my pitches to where I can throw them for strikes in any count I wanted. Just being more comfortable on the mound with all my pitches.” Q: What’s the hardest thing about pro baseball? A: “I’d say, for me, it’s playing everyday. You have very few off days. You’ll come back (from a road trip) at five in the morning and you’ll have a game that day. It’s a crazy turnaround sometimes but it’s pro ball. You’ve got to get used to it. You just have to grind it out.” Q: Did you buy anything with your signing bonus, something you’ve always wanted? A: “My signing bonus wasn’t too big, but I actually got engaged so most of it went to that. Actually, all of it went to that.” Q: What’s your most prized sports possession? A: “I’d say my national championship rings. It’s something most people don’t have and I have two of them. So I’d say it’s that.” Q: Former Pirates reliever Kent Tekulve is a Marietta graduate. Did you ever get a chance to meet him? A: “When we win a national championship, he actually comes back and brings us a champagne bottle with the record and all the players’ names on it. That was nice, and he’s done that twice. He’s also been to a couple of games we’ve had. So I’ve met him quite a few times.” Q: So do you crack the champagne open? A: “No, we keep it. It’s hanging with the rings right now.” Q: How much did playing at a tradition-rich school like Marietta prepare you for pro ball? A: “I think, a lot. Because there it’s all about winning. We only lost 12 games in two years. It’s a little different coming here. You play everyday so you’re going to lose more games. But I think it taught me how to win and how to be a champion.” Q: Did you play any other sports? A: “Basketball, in high school. I was all right. I started a couple of years. I liked it a lot more because our team was a lot better. So it was more fun than baseball in high school, but, obviously, I was better at baseball.” Q: What was the bus ride back to Marietta like after winning that last national title? A: “It’s hard to sleep after that. But we drove through the night so you got a little bit of sleep. But your emotions and the adrenaline are pretty high after winning. Your career is over, so that sucks. But you go out on a pretty good note. It was a lot of mixed emotions but it was great to spend that time with all those guys.” Austin Blaski was part of a Marietta College team that won back-to-back Division III championships at Fox Cities Stadium. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have placed him on the disabled list. / Contributed Photo http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20130720&Category=APC020602&ArtNo=307200306&Ref=AR&MaxW=300&Border=0&Timber-Rattlers-Profile-Austin-Blaski-pitcher

Saturday's game at St. Lucie cancelled PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The scheduled game on Saturday, July 20 between the Brevard County Manatees and the St. Lucie Mets at Tradition Field has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Since the Manatees and the Mets do not play each other again this season, the game will not be made up. The Manatees return home to Space Coast Stadium on Sunday, July 21 at 5:05 PM (4:05 Central), as they open up a four-game series with the Fort Myers Miracle.

Looks like we survived multiple vacationing Link Reporters with this one -- really been fighting weak internet on this portion of my own journey, looking forward to the next leg. Thanks to all our contributors.